A link to my digital citizenship resources for Learning Curation #3 on Delicious.com.
https://delicious.com/mcleanbookmarks/digitalcitizenship
Tuesday 27 October 2015
Sunday 25 October 2015
LIBE 477B Inquiry Blog #4: Libraries in Developing Nations
When reading the module outline for this week's Inquiry, I was immediately reminded of a book I read in the Fountas and Pinnel guided reading system last year with some of my students in LST. It was about the Biblioburros, in which a teacher in one of the poorest parts of Colombia decided to create a mobile library with 2 donkeys and bring books and literacy to remote villages. (It really goes to show that you never know when and where you'll read something interesting that will impact you later!). I had never heard of this before, and both myself and my students found it very interesting to learn about. I think it gave the students a little perspective on how lucky we are to live in a prosperous country like Canada and where free education and access to libraries is simply a given (although I explain later in this post that this was definitely a generalization!).
"Have books, will travel"
The man behind the Biblioburros is Luis Soriano, an elementary school teacher who decided to spend his free time travelling to Magdelan Province's most remote and poverty-stricken villages with his own collection of books to share with the isolated people there. Soriano had noticed that many of his students had trouble finishing their homework because of lack of access to books in their home villages (if they were able to make the long trek to school at all.) He has attracted worldwide attention since he began the project in the early 1990s, with donations flooding in to help him expand the worthwhile (and often dangerous) project. I found a trailer for a PBS documentary about Luis that was made in 2011 here. (The embedding code wouldn't work!) You can also read about the project on this blog. I am in the process of trying to find access to actual documentary, as it looks awesome! This quote from the filmmaker Carlos Rendón Zipagauta appears on the PBS website: "I thought this would be a magnificent story to tell, for what it says about human goodness and inventiveness and for what it reveals about the dignity of the Colombian people, especially the poorest among them" (2011). There is also a picture book about Luis by Jeanette Winter called Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia, published in 2010. (Adding it to my shopping list for school!)
Libraries as society's equalizers
I am always reminded of oft-quoted statement of "the library is society's great equalizer." Just as we are trying to bridge the digital divide in our schools on a more local scale, other countries struggle to provide even simple access to books to all of their citizens. In my opinion, education plays such an important role in a country's development. As stated by Soriano in this CNN article, "For us teachers, it's an educational triumph, and for the parents [it's] a great satisfaction when a child learns how to read. That's how a community changes and the child becomes a good citizen and a useful person. Literature is how we connect them with the world" (2010).
In this article, Stuart Hamilton makes the argument that promoting and investing in public libraries is key in ensuring that a country's citizens will have access to information. Because the physical institutions are already in place, ensuring that they all have internet access is the next step in keeping people connected. According to the article only 35% of the world's population has access to the Internet! (Hamilton, 2010).
Restriction and Isolation within Abundance
Looking back at my first musings in this blog post, and how my students and I considered ourselves lucky to live in a place where access to school libraries was possible, it got me thinking more about Canada itself and how there are of course still many areas and populations within our country that could be just as isolated as a remote African village and experience the same problems with access to information and technology, such as places like the far North or some Aboriginal communities. I found an interesting article about a call for the federal government to step up and provide more funding to build libraries in Aboriginal communities. According to the National Aboriginal Public Library Organization (NAPLO), "less than a third of the 614 First Nations bands in Canada have an on-reserve library, and most of those have only a part-time librarian and severely inadequate resources" (2013). Because funding for Aboriginal education is also less than for the rest of Canadians, Aboriginal youth in remote places get a bit of a double whammy of lack of resources and access. The full study by the National Reading Campaign on the state of libraries in Aboriginal communities can be found here.
I suppose I deviated a little from the subject of digital devices and bridging the gap, but I got very caught up in learning about these grassroots movements to ensure access to even the most basic library technology. I think that the idea of BYOD and expanding WiFi is a great way to increase access in developing nations; cell phones are cheaper than ever before and usage is high in even the poorest of countries. According to this article, here are almost as many cell-phone subscriptions (6.8 billion) as there are people in the world! In another study, it was found that 62 % of respondents claimed increased readership because of the ability to read online on their phones (Rayman, 2014). Since cell phones are often easier to get than an actual print book (and sometimes even cheaper!) it makes sense that promoting mobile readership and making it easier to do (better and more prolific WiFi, for example) is good step in increasing literacy in developing nations as well ensuring information access. (The full study can be found here.)
Clearly, the digital divide is a global issue, not just a classroom one. Perhaps getting students involved in learning about these problems to access (especially in their own backyard) would be an effective way to encourage students to think globally and apply their critical thinking skills in creating possible solutions. Inquiry-based learning at its finest?
References:
ayokaproductions (15 September 2009). Biblioburros- The Donkey Library. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTswmx9TQU.
Fernholz, Tim. (2014). More people around the world have cell phones than ever had land-lines. Quartz. Retrieved from http://qz.com/179897/more-people-around-the-world-have-cell-phones-than-ever-had-land-lines/
Fundalectura. (2013). General Information. Retrieved from http://www.fundalectura.org/?module=nosotros-info
Hamilton, Stuart. (2013). Stamping out poverty as well as books? How libraries can support development. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2013/mar/12/libraries-power-global-development
Mishibijinima, Sheri (2013). Group Calls for Fed Financing of Libraries for Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples. Federation of Ontario Public Libraries. Retrieved from http://fopl.ca/news/group-calls-for-fed-financing-of-libraries-for-canadas-aboriginal-peoples/
National Reading Campaign. (2015). Aboriginal Peoples and Access to Reading Materials. Osweken, ON: Stonepath Research Group. Retrieved from http://www.nationalreadingcampaign.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Final-Report-National-Reading-Camaign-Committee-March-Final-Report-Appendix-Free.pdf
PBS. (2011). Biblioburro: The Donkey Library. PBS. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/pov/biblioburro/
Rayman, Noah. (2014). Cell Phones Could Help Millions in Developing Countries to Read. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/74584/unesco-study-mobile-phones-book-reading-literacy/
Roth, Sammy. (2012). Colombia has 100 Tiny Libraries in Public Parks. Good. Retrieved from http://magazine.good.is/articles/colombia-has-100-tiny-libraries-in-public-parks
Ruffins, Ebonne. (2010). Teaching Kids to Read from the Back of a Burro. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/02/25/cnnheroes.soriano/
Unesco. (2014). Reading in the Mobile Era. Paris: Unesco. Retrieved from
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002274/227436e.pdf
"Have books, will travel"
The man behind the Biblioburros is Luis Soriano, an elementary school teacher who decided to spend his free time travelling to Magdelan Province's most remote and poverty-stricken villages with his own collection of books to share with the isolated people there. Soriano had noticed that many of his students had trouble finishing their homework because of lack of access to books in their home villages (if they were able to make the long trek to school at all.) He has attracted worldwide attention since he began the project in the early 1990s, with donations flooding in to help him expand the worthwhile (and often dangerous) project. I found a trailer for a PBS documentary about Luis that was made in 2011 here. (The embedding code wouldn't work!) You can also read about the project on this blog. I am in the process of trying to find access to actual documentary, as it looks awesome! This quote from the filmmaker Carlos Rendón Zipagauta appears on the PBS website: "I thought this would be a magnificent story to tell, for what it says about human goodness and inventiveness and for what it reveals about the dignity of the Colombian people, especially the poorest among them" (2011). There is also a picture book about Luis by Jeanette Winter called Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia, published in 2010. (Adding it to my shopping list for school!)
I was still curious about the situation of Colombia's libraries in general after reading this, and found that there are several non-profit groups in the country that promote literacy. One of these is Fundalectura, whose mission is to make Colombia "a country of readers." One of their projects was to create "mini-libraries" in parks all over Colombia, especially in areas where access to books is limited. An article about the project can be found here.
Image courtesy of: http://www.fundalectura.org/?module=proyecto&ms=34
Libraries as society's equalizers
I am always reminded of oft-quoted statement of "the library is society's great equalizer." Just as we are trying to bridge the digital divide in our schools on a more local scale, other countries struggle to provide even simple access to books to all of their citizens. In my opinion, education plays such an important role in a country's development. As stated by Soriano in this CNN article, "For us teachers, it's an educational triumph, and for the parents [it's] a great satisfaction when a child learns how to read. That's how a community changes and the child becomes a good citizen and a useful person. Literature is how we connect them with the world" (2010).
In this article, Stuart Hamilton makes the argument that promoting and investing in public libraries is key in ensuring that a country's citizens will have access to information. Because the physical institutions are already in place, ensuring that they all have internet access is the next step in keeping people connected. According to the article only 35% of the world's population has access to the Internet! (Hamilton, 2010).
Restriction and Isolation within Abundance
Looking back at my first musings in this blog post, and how my students and I considered ourselves lucky to live in a place where access to school libraries was possible, it got me thinking more about Canada itself and how there are of course still many areas and populations within our country that could be just as isolated as a remote African village and experience the same problems with access to information and technology, such as places like the far North or some Aboriginal communities. I found an interesting article about a call for the federal government to step up and provide more funding to build libraries in Aboriginal communities. According to the National Aboriginal Public Library Organization (NAPLO), "less than a third of the 614 First Nations bands in Canada have an on-reserve library, and most of those have only a part-time librarian and severely inadequate resources" (2013). Because funding for Aboriginal education is also less than for the rest of Canadians, Aboriginal youth in remote places get a bit of a double whammy of lack of resources and access. The full study by the National Reading Campaign on the state of libraries in Aboriginal communities can be found here.
I suppose I deviated a little from the subject of digital devices and bridging the gap, but I got very caught up in learning about these grassroots movements to ensure access to even the most basic library technology. I think that the idea of BYOD and expanding WiFi is a great way to increase access in developing nations; cell phones are cheaper than ever before and usage is high in even the poorest of countries. According to this article, here are almost as many cell-phone subscriptions (6.8 billion) as there are people in the world! In another study, it was found that 62 % of respondents claimed increased readership because of the ability to read online on their phones (Rayman, 2014). Since cell phones are often easier to get than an actual print book (and sometimes even cheaper!) it makes sense that promoting mobile readership and making it easier to do (better and more prolific WiFi, for example) is good step in increasing literacy in developing nations as well ensuring information access. (The full study can be found here.)
Clearly, the digital divide is a global issue, not just a classroom one. Perhaps getting students involved in learning about these problems to access (especially in their own backyard) would be an effective way to encourage students to think globally and apply their critical thinking skills in creating possible solutions. Inquiry-based learning at its finest?
References:
ayokaproductions (15 September 2009). Biblioburros- The Donkey Library. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTswmx9TQU.
Fernholz, Tim. (2014). More people around the world have cell phones than ever had land-lines. Quartz. Retrieved from http://qz.com/179897/more-people-around-the-world-have-cell-phones-than-ever-had-land-lines/
Fundalectura. (2013). General Information. Retrieved from http://www.fundalectura.org/?module=nosotros-info
Hamilton, Stuart. (2013). Stamping out poverty as well as books? How libraries can support development. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2013/mar/12/libraries-power-global-development
Mishibijinima, Sheri (2013). Group Calls for Fed Financing of Libraries for Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples. Federation of Ontario Public Libraries. Retrieved from http://fopl.ca/news/group-calls-for-fed-financing-of-libraries-for-canadas-aboriginal-peoples/
National Reading Campaign. (2015). Aboriginal Peoples and Access to Reading Materials. Osweken, ON: Stonepath Research Group. Retrieved from http://www.nationalreadingcampaign.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Final-Report-National-Reading-Camaign-Committee-March-Final-Report-Appendix-Free.pdf
PBS. (2011). Biblioburro: The Donkey Library. PBS. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/pov/biblioburro/
Rayman, Noah. (2014). Cell Phones Could Help Millions in Developing Countries to Read. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/74584/unesco-study-mobile-phones-book-reading-literacy/
Roth, Sammy. (2012). Colombia has 100 Tiny Libraries in Public Parks. Good. Retrieved from http://magazine.good.is/articles/colombia-has-100-tiny-libraries-in-public-parks
Ruffins, Ebonne. (2010). Teaching Kids to Read from the Back of a Burro. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/02/25/cnnheroes.soriano/
Unesco. (2014). Reading in the Mobile Era. Paris: Unesco. Retrieved from
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002274/227436e.pdf
Tuesday 20 October 2015
Inquiry Blog # 3: TLs as "pros" in providing Pro-D for teachers
When reading the module for this week, I found that it echoed how I often describe my job to non-teachers when they ask what I do in an average day: resource-finder, tech-fixer, space-provider, team-teacher, co-collaborator (conspirator?), and educational leader. One of my colleagues says that a big part of her job is "hooking people up," whether it's with a resource, a project idea or another teacher in the school who is an expert in ____________ and can help them out. I also always say that one of the best parts of my job is the fact that I get to work with everyone and everything- different teachers, different subjects, different grade levels and different students. It's certainly never boring!
Because we are (hopefully!) in the learning hub of the school, I think we have great opportunities to reach out to teachers as understanding and helpful colleagues and be school leaders in terms of professional development focus.
Image courtesy of: http://www.mchslibrary.org/what-teacher-librarians-do.html
Creating an Oasis:
I think one of the most important ways to be educational leaders is to foster positive relationships with staff and build a solid rapport, much like how we do with our students. Indeed, just like our students, the library can be a sort of "safe haven" for staff as well. I can't tell you how many teachers would come to my office on their prep just to take a break, chat and relax for a minute. In addition, many new teachers who didn't have their own classroom counted on the library as a workspace during their prep time. Even the secretaries would come in on their lunchbreaks to read a book as a change of pace from the office! In that sense, the learning commons not only has to attract and cater to students; we have to make it welcoming and usable for our staff as well. Staff members who don't get a warm reception will be unlikely to want to come back with their entire class to collaborate on a project. I also found that making sure I had lunch with different groups of teachers (in a big secondary school, not everyone eats in the lunchroom) to talk informally about what they're doing in their classrooms, who their students are and see if there was anything I could do to contribute. In this way, the TL can provide that "just-in-time" support that can be really game-changing. If your school has that kind of dynamic, after-school "library meetings" at the nearby pub was also a great opportunity to connect with colleagues that you may not otherwise see very often! (Definitely informal and relaxed!) One of the best projects a Humanities teacher and I did all year was brainstormed in this way.
Unlike the typical stereotype of a teacher-librarian as being quiet, reclusive and "shushy," I feel like today's TL has to be a bit of a social butterfly! I remembered a great infographic I had seen outlining this very quality:
Image courtesy of: http://libraryconnect.elsevier.com/sites/default/files/LC_SocialLibrarian_infographic.png
Teacher Resource Sections:
Having a learning commons that is welcoming to teachers of course means having actual resources for them to check out. Having worked in 7 libraries in the past 4 years (and TOC'd in many more), I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly in teacher resource sections. Like anything else in the library, access and visibility are key. In my current library, the resources are housed ad hoc on a random shelf, and the DVDs are on a high shelf in the back office (which I barely use myself.) Terrible! My plan is to put actual signage on the section and have some shelf-markers so teachers can actually see what's there. I've found that most teachers in many schools have their own personal resource sections in their classrooms, due to the fact that the TR section in the library is outdated. At my little school (100 students!) where I teach once per week, the library underwent a massive renovation, in which all of the teacher resources were boxed up. Apparently no one missed them, as I just discovered them this year hiding in an empty classroom! Needless to say, I did some extensive weeding, and with the new shelving and open concept was able to put them on a prominent, easy to access shelf so that teachers can easily just grab what they need when I'm not there (which is unfortunately most of the time.) Again, being able to connect with staff and find out what resources they need is of course key to building a great TR section.
Time is NOT on our side!
Professional development can be a tricky endeavour. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has gone to an in-school Pro D Day, listened attentively, and then tucked away the workshop notes in their Pro D binder, not to be looked at again. In my opinion, Pro D needs to be practical, applicable, repeated and hands-on. I know that if I don't try something out on my own then I'll be less inclined to re-visit it, almost like sensory memory. Teachers (as we know) are incredibly busy and do not have a lot of time to spend on their own personal learning, as much as they would like to. Our scheduled pro D days are wonderful opportunities, but if they seem unconnected, then it can be like learning something in a vacuum. Therefore, I think that offering intermittent "lunchtime learning," staff meeting presentations or short after-school workshops is really effective in getting teachers learning something together, and perhaps continuing the learning that took place on the formal Pro D day. I've never personally served on a Pro D committee or been a Pro D chair, but I think it would be a really great way to further connect with teachers, see what their needs are, and create a Pro D program (and essentially a school vision) that will cater to those needs. Again, since we in a position to work with everyone, then we are able to further solidify our opportunities to "hook people up."
In my research for this week's topic, I came across an awesome e-book called Becoming and Being: Reflections on Teacher-Librarianship by _____________. According to the book, "teacher-librarians have a whole-school view and model lifelong learning for their staff and students (p. 231)". It was interesting to read about what makes effective professional development; according to research, teachers need "1) ample time and resources for learning, implementation and reflection, 2) opportunites for colleagues to work together in peer collaboration, and 3) school-or site-based learning that relates directly to curricular outcomes and increasing teacher's knowledge of content material (p. 231). In addition, "the leadership role of librarians as technology experts gives them the ability to provide in-house, contextually situated professional development on an ongoing basis in their schools" (p. 235). There is also a great companion website to the book with even more articles and links found here.
Short and Sweet
In addition to to formal, face to face workshops, sending out "library updates" with one or two cool things to share (new apps, interesting articles, blogs to follow) is also a quick and unobtrusive way to help colleagues in their professional learning. Whether it's through a Twitter account, the library blog/website or just an regular old email, the TL can reach all staff without a lot of effort. I also used to put things in teacher's mailboxes for those colleagues who aren't as electronically connected.
Of course, we can't help everyone. In reality, there are some teachers who will never bring their classes to the library. However, as TLs trying to create hubs of learning with our learning commons, I think it's simply in our nature to try our hardest to make connections. Now that I'm looking back at my post, I'm seeing that advocacy and explaining what we do is a crucial part of reaching out to staff and creating a professional learning network at the school level.
On that note, here is a funny infographic that I'm sure we've all seen but it still makes me chuckle:
Image courtesy of: https://librariotypes.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/librariotypes-presents-how-people-view-my-profession-memes/
References:
Boss, Suzie, Are School Librarians Part of Your PBL Dream Team? Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/school-librarians-part-pbl-team-dream-suzie-boss
Branch-Mueller, J., DeGroot, J, Salerno, K. (Eds.) (2013). Becoming and Being: Reflections on Teacher-Librarianship. Teacher-Librarian by Distance Learning, University of Alberta. Edmonton: AB. Retrieved from: https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/becoming-and-being/home/e-book
Canadian
Library Association. (2014). Leading learning: Standards of practice for school
library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa: ON.
- Dambruoso, A. (2014, July 18). 10 things classroom teachers need to know about modern school librarians. [Blog post]. Retrieved fromhttp://libraryallegra.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/10-things-classroom-teachers-need-to-know-about-modern-school-librarians/
Friday 9 October 2015
LIBE 477B Inquiry Blog # 2: PLNs- Anytime, Anywhere Learning
Baby Steps:
I was first introduced to the notion of a personal learning network through Twitter, when a colleague/mentor for whom I TOC'd in my first library job encouraged me to join in order to get some ideas for the remainder of the school year. Although I found it overwhelming at first, I soon realized how helpful it could be for sharing resources and experiences. Initially I just "lurked" and explored different hashtags, but once other Surrey TLs starting creating their own accounts (both personal and for their libraries), it became easier to send out more tweets. I have to admit that I'm not as vocal as I would like to be, as I am still sometimes hesitant to share (my inner introvert showing itself) and also haven't made it a habit to go on Twitter. I am hoping to change that! Nonetheless, I've discovered some amazing websites and individuals (like Edutopia) over the past few years simply by following a few leaders in education and then seeing who they follow.
The TL mentioned above is Lisa Domeier de Suarez, and she did an amazing presentation at the BCTLA 2012 conference introducing the basics and benefits of joining Twitter. The presentation can be found here:
I was first introduced to the notion of a personal learning network through Twitter, when a colleague/mentor for whom I TOC'd in my first library job encouraged me to join in order to get some ideas for the remainder of the school year. Although I found it overwhelming at first, I soon realized how helpful it could be for sharing resources and experiences. Initially I just "lurked" and explored different hashtags, but once other Surrey TLs starting creating their own accounts (both personal and for their libraries), it became easier to send out more tweets. I have to admit that I'm not as vocal as I would like to be, as I am still sometimes hesitant to share (my inner introvert showing itself) and also haven't made it a habit to go on Twitter. I am hoping to change that! Nonetheless, I've discovered some amazing websites and individuals (like Edutopia) over the past few years simply by following a few leaders in education and then seeing who they follow.
The TL mentioned above is Lisa Domeier de Suarez, and she did an amazing presentation at the BCTLA 2012 conference introducing the basics and benefits of joining Twitter. The presentation can be found here:
Twitter: Best Professional Development in 140 Characters from lisa domeier de suarez
[On a "candid learning" note, I wasn't sure how to embed a Slideshare, but I found a how-to video that explains it really easily. Who knew I could actually do something in the HTML format...)
One of the reasons why I am sometimes hesitant to share is my thoughts of "I'm still so new! What do I have to share in comparison to these TLs who have so much experience and have done so much awesome stuff??" I think the quote by Chris Lehman in the presentation really hits the nail on the head: "It is no longer enough to do powerful work if no one sees it." Even something small, such as an idea for furniture set-up or a different way to catalog, is worth sharing with the world. I think about how many ideas I have gotten from Pinterest and realize that perhaps something I have done in my library could help another newbie like me. In fact, I was thrown for a loop last week when a former student teacher I worked with last year asked if she could come into my library and get some ideas in order to prep for an upcoming interview. It was a bit of an "Aha" moment where I realized I could certainly pay it forward and share my experiences in a more public/digital way, whether through Twitter or maybe my own blog. As we try to tell our students, learning is messy and ongoing and being the expert isn't necessarily the ultimate goal anymore. I ended up co-presenting with Lisa at the 2011 BCTLA conference, and although I was terrified to present to TLs who had years of experience on me, the experience was great and provided an opportunity to connect further with more TLs from around the province. (Our presentation slides on re-vamping the library can be found here.)
The "Personal" in PLNs
As TLs, our jobs can be very isolating as we are the only one of "us" in the school. Having a network of people to touch base with is crucial to staying current and also staying sane! I can honestly say that I don't think I would have survived my first year in the switch from secondary to elementary without the close-knit community of teacher-librarians in Surrey who are always ready to help. I had always connoted PLN with the digital world, but after forming a group of new-ish TLs at the end of last year and meeting up in person over the summer to collaborate, I realized that although it's not always possible, actual face-to-face discussion is a crucial aspect of a PLN.
Why make a PLN?
I wanted to find some literature on why it is important to have a space for professional learning. I feel that professional development happens best when it's informal and driven by something that you are truly inspired by. I found a video featuring Will Richardson's thoughts on PLNs, and he points out that a PLN is a much more complex process than simply attending a seminar or having an in-school Pro D Day. He also puts a PLN in the context of how it impacts our students, in that young people often already have their own learning networks, so it's important that we as educators understand how to create and use them effectively and safely (a bit of a digital citizenship piece that I hadn't really considered when thinking about my own professional learning.)
Now that I've done some research into the topic, I can see that there are many ways of creating a PLN, some of which I already do but hadn't considered it as such. For example, I had forgotten about two wikis I had joined in years past that have been extremely helpful in our district http://tech4tls.wikispaces.com/ and http://t-lshare.wikispaces.com/. Again, sharing small things that have worked for you can have a big impact.
Kathy Schrock has an amazing page on her site Kathy Shrock's Guide to Everything that outlines the How and Why of PLNs and contains perspectives from a variety of educational leaders. Very enlightening and inspiring!
I feel lucky that I get to be an educator in an age with so much opportunity to connect and collaborate with others. I feel that my practice can only continue to get better as I look to what others have done in similar situations, as well as share my own experiences (and hopefully get over my fears!)... after all, don't we often tell our students that the best way to learn something is to teach it someone else?
References:
Domeier de Suarez, Lisa. (19 October 2012). Twitter: Best Professional Development in 140 Characters. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/lmdsuarez/twitter-best-professional-development-in-140-characters
Loertscher, D. V., & Koechlin, C. (2011). Personal learning environments in the learning commons. Teacher Librarian, 39(2), 23-26. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/915254353?accountid=14656
Richardson, Will. Personal Learning Networks. (7 December 2007). [Video file] Retrived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mghGV37TeK8.
[On a "candid learning" note, I wasn't sure how to embed a Slideshare, but I found a how-to video that explains it really easily. Who knew I could actually do something in the HTML format...)
One of the reasons why I am sometimes hesitant to share is my thoughts of "I'm still so new! What do I have to share in comparison to these TLs who have so much experience and have done so much awesome stuff??" I think the quote by Chris Lehman in the presentation really hits the nail on the head: "It is no longer enough to do powerful work if no one sees it." Even something small, such as an idea for furniture set-up or a different way to catalog, is worth sharing with the world. I think about how many ideas I have gotten from Pinterest and realize that perhaps something I have done in my library could help another newbie like me. In fact, I was thrown for a loop last week when a former student teacher I worked with last year asked if she could come into my library and get some ideas in order to prep for an upcoming interview. It was a bit of an "Aha" moment where I realized I could certainly pay it forward and share my experiences in a more public/digital way, whether through Twitter or maybe my own blog. As we try to tell our students, learning is messy and ongoing and being the expert isn't necessarily the ultimate goal anymore. I ended up co-presenting with Lisa at the 2011 BCTLA conference, and although I was terrified to present to TLs who had years of experience on me, the experience was great and provided an opportunity to connect further with more TLs from around the province. (Our presentation slides on re-vamping the library can be found here.)
The "Personal" in PLNs
As TLs, our jobs can be very isolating as we are the only one of "us" in the school. Having a network of people to touch base with is crucial to staying current and also staying sane! I can honestly say that I don't think I would have survived my first year in the switch from secondary to elementary without the close-knit community of teacher-librarians in Surrey who are always ready to help. I had always connoted PLN with the digital world, but after forming a group of new-ish TLs at the end of last year and meeting up in person over the summer to collaborate, I realized that although it's not always possible, actual face-to-face discussion is a crucial aspect of a PLN.
Why make a PLN?
I wanted to find some literature on why it is important to have a space for professional learning. I feel that professional development happens best when it's informal and driven by something that you are truly inspired by. I found a video featuring Will Richardson's thoughts on PLNs, and he points out that a PLN is a much more complex process than simply attending a seminar or having an in-school Pro D Day. He also puts a PLN in the context of how it impacts our students, in that young people often already have their own learning networks, so it's important that we as educators understand how to create and use them effectively and safely (a bit of a digital citizenship piece that I hadn't really considered when thinking about my own professional learning.)
Video: Richardson, Will. Personal Learning Networks. (7 December 2007). [Video file] Retrived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mghGV37TeK8.
David Loerstcher states that PLNs (or PLEs, Personal Learning Environments) "are driven by a need to make sense of the vast world of information and ideas and take advantage of technologies and tools available. In addition, they tap into the knowledge and expertise of others in order to learn, to build knowledge, to create, to collaborate and to share within their specified community and the broader learning environment" (2011).
Now that I've done some research into the topic, I can see that there are many ways of creating a PLN, some of which I already do but hadn't considered it as such. For example, I had forgotten about two wikis I had joined in years past that have been extremely helpful in our district http://tech4tls.wikispaces.com/ and http://t-lshare.wikispaces.com/. Again, sharing small things that have worked for you can have a big impact.
Kathy Schrock has an amazing page on her site Kathy Shrock's Guide to Everything that outlines the How and Why of PLNs and contains perspectives from a variety of educational leaders. Very enlightening and inspiring!
I feel lucky that I get to be an educator in an age with so much opportunity to connect and collaborate with others. I feel that my practice can only continue to get better as I look to what others have done in similar situations, as well as share my own experiences (and hopefully get over my fears!)... after all, don't we often tell our students that the best way to learn something is to teach it someone else?
References:
Domeier de Suarez, Lisa. (19 October 2012). Twitter: Best Professional Development in 140 Characters. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/lmdsuarez/twitter-best-professional-development-in-140-characters
Loertscher, D. V., & Koechlin, C. (2011). Personal learning environments in the learning commons. Teacher Librarian, 39(2), 23-26. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/915254353?accountid=14656
Richardson, Will. Personal Learning Networks. (7 December 2007). [Video file] Retrived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mghGV37TeK8.
Saturday 3 October 2015
LIBE 477B Inquiry Blog #1: How do we create a reader-friendly school?
Image courtesy of: http://classroomchaos.tumblr.com/post/15103320902/dr-seuss-quote
I think that to establish a true reading culture in a school, everyone- teachers, EAs, administration and students- has to be invested. In addition to having whole-school involvement, I think that teachers must model their reading behavior to students and consistently explain their "why" when it comes to reading. If a student were to ask me, "Why do you read?" I would have lots of different reasons, depending on the medium. To stay informed. To learn about different people, places and things. To get lost in a great story. To identify with a character. And, of course, just for fun! I've seen a number of schools that highlight their teachers and administration reading, with pictures on the walls of staff reading their favourite books, or having teachers write little book reviews on the school website, or inviting teachers to share their favourite books with different classes. I found a great article highlighting a discussion about the ways teachers share their reading with their students and how it inspires them. The article quotes Mem Fox in that "The passion I am asking for from teachers is a passion beyond the pay cheque. It's a passion for children's books, as well as for their own reading, for if teachers don't love to read, why on earth should children?" (National Library of New Zealand, 2015).
By doing this, we demonstrate to students that reading is everywhere and is simply just part of living a fulfilled life. Some students who struggle with reading might think that reading must involve sitting quietly with a thick book in their hands, but it's important to show them that reading includes lots of other things as well- sharing, creating, discussing- and that there are many different ways to read. In that sense, being able to help students establish their "reader identity" is a crucial way to encourage students to regard reading and their choice of reading materials as a part of who they are as individuals. Indeed, "when we promote books to children and share our reading lives with them, we offer more than another great book recommendation or reading cheerleader: we invite them into a society that reveres reading and readers" (Miller, 2013). In addition, we also must address new literacies (ebooks, for example) to encourage those students who struggle with "traditional" reading but who might excel with a more multi-modal format. Inviting students to share their thoughts on what they've read is also a great way to get them to take ownership of their learning and express themselves (and, if they are using social media, learning a new skill at the same time!) Finally, allowing students to explore what interests them (whether it's non-fiction, current events, or a specific author) will illustrate the importance of reading simply for satisfying their own curiosity. As a teacher-librarian I am happy to see a student reading anything; I think that having a variety of genres and materials (books, magazines, graphic novels) in various levels and formats is key in making the library relevant and appealing. (More of my thoughts on reader choice and establishing lifelong reading habits can be found here.)
[Writing about this topic made me think of an assignment I had my library monitors do in one of my secondary schools: Write a book review in 140 characters and post it to the library's Twitter account. I don't have that account anymore but here's a general example. ]
Possible Strategies?
Having worked in a variety of elementary and secondary schools over the past five years, I've seen several initiatives to promote reading, some of which are more successful than others. It seems to be more difficult to have school-wide activities at the secondary level than in elementary, since there are more students (many of whom leave campus for part of the day), and more differentiated classes. One school I TOC'd in had SSR built into the daily schedule, as the first 20 minutes of the second block. Everyone- teachers, students, admin, EAs- are supposed to read something for that time period, whether it's a book, a magazine or a newspaper. However, I noticed that not all classes did it, which undermined those that did: "But Mr. ________lets us do this instead!" I suppose this might be easier in an elementary school, but again, if everyone isn't on board then it will lose its momentum quickly.
Some schools are using Raz Kids to try to encourage their struggling readers; I worked with a few such students last year and they would come to our sessions very excited after having gotten "100%" on one of the activities the night before. For students who struggle and and have been consistently labelled as a "reluctant reader" throughout their school lives, this kind of encouragement is invaluable. I also think that the learning commons transformation is helpful in this respect; many students feel that the library is "just for the smart people" or "just for reading and being quiet," but if the space is more open and flexible for other uses, and teachers bring in their classes more often, then those reluctant students might feel more inclined to come back on their own.
I also feel that author visits can do a lot to garner excitement among students for reading, as they put a human face to the book. Indeed, doing author studies and getting students to find out more about who wrote the story they just read, and the motivation behind it, can do a lot to peak students' interest and help them identify with the author. They might think, "Hey! _________ is kind of like me, and he wrote a book!"
Surrey also has 3 "Book of the Year" programs which I usually promote heavily: Surrey Picture Book of the Year (K-4), Surrey Book of the Year (Grades 4-7), and Surrey Teens Read (Grades 8-12). I think these programs allow teachers to promote a community of sharing and collaboration, since all students have access to the same books. Having served on the Surrey Teens Read two years ago, I can tell you it's not an easy feat choosing ten books that have been published in the last 2 years and that represent a variety of different genres to appeal to a variety of different tastes! I do booktalks to all classes, as well as show them the book trailers, the website and explain how the voting works in May. This is always successful in garnering excitement over the books, as students generally run to the books afterward to get the one that appealed to them most. Since I had a chance to read most of the books over the summer, I was also able to share my reactions to the books which, as discussed above, is a powerful way to motivate students. Indeed, I shared with students that one of the books was so frightening I couldn't read it at night (true story), and that one flew off the shelves first!
Another strategy I hope to try this October for Canadian Library Month is DEAR (Drop Everything and Read), which some teachers already do in their classrooms daily much like SSR. Our district usually promotes this event quite strongly:
Province of BC (22 October 2012). Drop Everything and Read. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUCnQnif5k4
This is a video made by Johnston Heights Secondary students for DEAR... Hilarious!
MisterBegg (16 October 2012). Read me Maybe. [Video File] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX4np25k5m0
Has anyone done this at their school before? Was it successful? I would hope to make it more of a year-long initiative, rather than just a one-day event...
I feel like I've discussed a million different things and raised more questions than answers (in addition to making myself overwhelmed with the infinite number of possibilities for encouraging reading...oh, the Internet....) but I suppose that's the point of the inquiry process! Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has to say!
References:
Bisplinghoff, Betty Shockley, Commeyras, Michelle & Olson, Jennifer. (Eds). (2003). Teachers as Readers: Perspectives on the Importance of Reading in Teachers’ Classrooms and Lives. Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association, Inc.
Retrieved from http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/files/Teachers_As_Readers_by_Michelle_Commeyras_et_al.pdf
Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa: ON
Kelley, S., & Miller, D. (2013) Reading in the wild: The book whisper’s keys to cultivating lifelong reading habits. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. p.88-128.
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