Summation of Constructed Learning of LLED 462
This course has given me the big picture of the multi faceted roles of TL within the SLLC and made me aware of my lack of knowledge in some areas and greater passion for other areas. I'm currently not in a TL position so unfortunately not able to put into regular practice.
TL's at its essence is a professional educational service role where the key question for stakeholders is "How best can I serve you and support you? THEN LISTEN ACTIVELY to best match their needs and use it as an opportunity to suggest further strategies/resources/design to provide equitable access, inclusive to all students and diverse learning needs. This course has given me more confidence in how to bring the SLLC to the school community when I'm in a position. The BCTLA collaboration models and BCED model has helped me to envision the growth continuum with colleagues and I feel comfortable to start with small gestures of assistance/suggestions of resources(curriculum mapping) and let the ripple effect happen as I grow more confident. Every collegial relationship will differ and this is key to keep in mind. I enjoyed Mackenzies blog in the Canadian School Journal here: classroom-inquirys-secret-weapon-the-teacher-librarian/ - because it gave the perspective of the teacher to the TL and I will remind myself to put myself in their shoes and ask "How can I lessen their workload? 
I'm most excited about being a champion of inquiry and best educational practices/strategies and models that through embedding with purposeful tools and sharing/collaborating with stakeholders helps facilitate a UDL experience to embrace 21st century literacies needs as stated here from the National Council of English stated here .ncte.resources/positions "effective instruction in 21st century literacies takes an integrated approach helping students understand how to access evaluate, synthesize, and contribute to information" On the other hand I feel very inadequate on the cataloguing/admin side as I've only subbed a couple times for our PT TL(she rarely is away) and I had started volunteering with James bay School but with COVID can no longer.
I appreciated the opportunity to interact with the Multi modal digital tools such as the bookmarking curation; Symbaloo, the visual, animated cartoon Powtoon and Padlet an intuitive multi modal interface tool digital post-it board in which you can add text, upload visuals, audio files, video and links to websites privately or collaboratively. Analyzing and synthesizing the context and purpose behind the tool so when asked or speaking to a teacher I can be more concise and targeted as to the learning opportunities and how it can be embedded within the workflow(IBP) and its connection to UDL click here for more: Robinson universal Design for Learning and School Libraries and ADST Big ideas and curricular competencies therefore lessening the teachers load and benefiting students learning. I feel better equipped to be able to suggest some tools in a concise meaningful way. For example I would advocate for the cost of Padlet because it can be used so many ways cross curricular, open-ended and easily scaffolded to be modified/adapted for UDL and Inquiry based process by teachers with options to collaborate and group students for optimal learning.
This course has given me an awareness of viewing our role through the eyes of a CT and being aware of not being over burdening but the importance of observation and forming relationship and simply putting the offer out for assistance through a email to colleagues and looking for ways to come alongside them to lessen their workload in particular with students with special needs/disabilities and those who differ from the mainstream culture. AASL In Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library states my vision here; " understands the curriculum of the school thoroughly and can partner with teachers to create exciting learning opportunities in an information and media rich environment." (AASL 2009)
Influences noted during course of TL and what I strive to be:
Connector/conduit of affective learning to create empathetic compassionate students . I can facilitate this by:
A uniquely curated collection that both mirrors and reflects the diversity of society and is inclusive of all and inviting of all in creating a safe haven within the SLLC for students to interact and be heard. Altobelli, in Creating Space for Agency reminds us that "school libraries have a hallowed role as safe spaces especially for potentially marginalized student populations" and "our students will be the multi-faceted innovators and creators of the future, the role of the librarian is to help them realize this potential which means all students need to see themselves in the school library."
CURATOR of a collection that reflects my unique schools diversity, sexual preference (LBQT) recognition of Indigenous students learning/experience (FPPL used) different from mainstream culture; races and religions and differential learning preferences including physical literacy/kinesthetic.
My goal would be a constructionist space within the SLLC and spaces in and out of school allows for an equitable access to tools/resources within a communal space that branches subjects. I really believe in this role and this course has cemented what is often not spoke of academically in that the affective domain is foundational I believe to a shift in consciousness in being open to really advance in their level of understanding(BT) and cause a change/adaptation of action advancing towrds creating a critical thinker capable of taking in new experiences/input/information.
Constructor of a Prepared space in SLLC to be MINDFUL MAKERS and extension/enhancement display of learning in combination with MakerSpace creations/activities and authentic learning opportunities(place based, experiential, field trips, Skype interviews) to promote deep reading and learning. This Maker ED resources I found useful for mindful makers: makered.org/resources/tools-materials
Curator of deep literature to promote empathetic connection/learning; As Krashen (2014, 2:35) states in the video, "access to a library with 500 books or more balances the effects of poverty." And as Clinton (2017, 11:32) states: "Reading is not just a nice thing to do, it's how we give our children the best possible start in life; and if we're serious about raising curious, empathetic, brave citizens, that starts with raising readers". These are powerful reminders that I'd advocate with.
Wolf in this book excerpt provides a rationale that I will revisit while speaking to colleagues: "Deep reading. Is it endangered".
Promoter of FREE voluntary reading as Krashen stated “The more people read for pleasure, the higher their literacy scores” (Krashen)TL as leader with colleagues is key to a climate and culture of acceptance that each student is on their own unique life long reading journey in developing their own sense of reader advocacy of what they enjoy to read (self-determination) I would facilitate this through scaffolding and modeling the development of criteria used to independently self select. (click on blog here for bookmatch criteria and more.)
Parrott, 2017 BOOKMATCH: Book length, Ordinary language, organization, Knowledge prior to book, Manageable text, appeal to genre, topic appropriateness, considering personal preferences, High Interest(BOOKMATCH)
TO encourage reading for pleasure I would conduct a reader advisory and observation through pertinent questions in mentoring students in their own sense of themselves as capable in selecting and fostering an excitement in what they are/have read and ensuring their opinions are valued. Through a trusting relationship students will share more personal details and enable the TL to make meaningful reading connections. I believe this quote :We need to cultivate a new kind of brain: a “bi-literate” reading brain capable of the deepest forms of thought in either digital or
traditional mediums. ~Maryanne Wolf Champion of IBP, experiential learning, concrete, place based and advocator of best strategies/resources such as UDL -Universal Design Learning principals of multiple means of REPRESENTATION, ACTION AND EXPRESSION AND ENGAGEMENT.
My goal would be to embed these frameworks and meaningful tools/resources with colleagues to deepen students level of thinking after ensuring authentic evidence/factual information is understood(CRAP) through a provocation ideally to go beyond the superficial knowledge by asking hard questions (Higher order questions/problems- Blooms Taxonomy)with the goal of addressing social injustice found in society: As stated here by Mc Laughlin," Asking hard questions is just that – hard. But if we are truly committed to teaching for social justice, we need to encourage our children to find as many points of view as they can, and to ask questions we may never be able to answer, knowing that education for citizenship lies in the process of thinking critically about the many sides of a question and working toward addressing the inequities this process reveals.
I embrace the importance of modeling/co teaching asking the hard questions within a IBP after the factual understanding/evidence context has been given and gradually forming a trusting collaborative relationship moving from co ordination and co operation to collaboration and taking inventory on the 11 characteristics from Merga study are listed here: Collaborate with Teacher librarian. to facilitate the process.
Defender of truth and evidence through providing opportunities/resources for Critical Literacy with practice of critical thinkers .
Clinton in her ALA speech stated that Librarians are advocates for ".. the fight to defend truth and reason with evidence and facts" providing students the tools such as CRAP and the Scientific model for critical thinking to ask the critical questions I feel is key for democratic society and I have the power to make a difference in how students read and use information whether print/ digital or multi modal formats. With the digital/media age upon us and students immersed in it as digital natives growing up with it ;its so important to teach for functional tasks, cyberbullying, digital citizenship as consumers and creators and how social media creates and uses our digital footprint. This course has given me the insight into how I use media and my footprint and analyzing HOW to teach it (and Co teach/collaborate with CT) and WHY this matters to students in the 21st century so they can too begin to see themselves as INTERAGATORS(Serafini) of media and be critical consumers and creators given the tools to evaluate information. What is the point of view? bias? audience? sponsored? Is there divergent and diverse points of views? etc. Commonsense media and mediasmarts.ca with online resources for K-12 will be a useful source evaluated by educators that I plan to use.
Retrieved from: https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/8-science-based-strategies-for-critical-thinking.
CURATOR of a collection that reflects my unique schools diversity, sexual preference (LBQT) Indigenous students (FPPL used) different races and religions and differential learning preferences. Students need to see themselves(mirror) and also given the opportunities to emphasize with others(window).
This course helped me to construct WHY its so key as a TL to teach information literacy in using and accessing ethically information of all modes.(visual,audio,print,digital) Our students live in a digital information age and as a TL I can provide the strategies and critical thinking to create a pathway of knowledgeable evaluation of media. I can take the initiative to provide this foundation to students which is transferable to all their learning.
"Media literacy is intertwined with digital literacy with DL involving more the PARTICIPATION in a safe and ethical way and ML incorporates networks and interactive modes. TL initiate practice with Media Smarts resource mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy
What Now?
Creating a vision mission statement and displaying it in SLLC and sharing with stakeholders in creating advocacy in alignment with others who embrace the key importance of the SLLC within the school community. Though not in position I can still do this in preparation.
1. signed up for free temporary digital journal ;SLJ as schoollibraryjournal_free , Edutopia e- blogs here: .edutopia.org/about, and the three times a year Canadian School Journey and BCTLA membership which is $15 for TOCs(me) and students or 40$ if not BCTLAbctla.ca/member-services/become-a-member to grow in my educational leadership influence/role.
2. Suggest to PT ,TL at my school; makerspace ideas (this will be able to after COVID as she now brings books to classes) possibly taking apart an old computer etc;
3. Speak to teacher of medically excluded group of students who range from grades 5-8 to suggest some resource possibilities such as Pobble 365 visuals/writing prompts and thelearningnetwork. here: .nytimes.com/section/learning and PBS learning.
4. Continue to curate more resources which I categorized on Symbalo. here: symbaloo.com/home/mix
5. Spoke to Casa teachers recently (masked as usual)about Physical Literacy and fundamental movement skills providing resources such as activeforlife.com/community-toolkit with lessons and informal assessments and sportforlife.ca/physical-literacy "Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life."
- The International Physical Literacy Association, May 20146. Always keep learning and playing with evolving tools keeping their learning context in mind curating and weeding.
7. Try the Storymaker approach to oral telling and writing of child inspired stories in the 3 to 6 year old casa -Storymaking: the Maker Movement (Compton)
I'm encouraged that I; as a TL within the SLLC can have a ripple effect as stated here: "the interaction you have with people are another opportunity for advocacy .Positive actions and conversations influence how others see and value your SLLC" (National Library) Remembering that simply having positive and helpful conversations with stakeholders and being seen by others helping and speaking informally to begin a relationship is a start in portraying the essential role and value of the SLLC in the school for all stakeholders.
REFERENCES:
Active for Life: Community toolkit - Active For Life. Active For Life. (2020). Retrieved 2 December 2020, from https://activeforlife.com/community-toolkit/.
MediaSmarts. MediaSmarts. (2020). Retrieved 2 December 2020, from https://mediasmarts.ca/.
Physical literacy - Sport for Life. Sport for Life. (2020). Retrieved 2 December 2020, from https://sportforlife.ca/physical-literacy/.
The Learning Network. Nytimes.com. (2020). Retrieved 2 December 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning.
Merga. (2020). UBC Library | EZproxy Login. Ila-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca, Teacher Librarian collaboration. Retrieved 2 December 2020, from https://ila-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/full/10.1002/jaal.958.
Mackenzie. (2020). Classroom Inquiry’s Secret Weapon: The Teacher-Librarian – Canadian School Libraries Journal. Journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca. Retrieved 2 December 2020, from https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/classroom-inquirys-secret-weapon-the-teacher-librarian/.
Wolf, Maryanne . "Deep reading. Is it endangered". Reader Come home: the reading brain in a digital world. Harper Collins, 2018. (book excerpt)
Altobelli, R. (2017). Creating Space for Agency. Knowledge Quest, 46(1), 8–15.
M. et al. (2020). Maker Ed’s Resource Library. Makered.org. Retrieved 2 December 2020, from
https://makered.org/resources/.
Cdn.ncte.org. (2020). Retrieved 2 December 2020, from https://cdn.ncte.org/nctefiles/resources/positions/chron1107researchbrief.pdf.
Compton, Michelle Kay, et al. Storymaking: the Maker Movement Approach to Literacy for Early Learners. Redleaf Press, 2018. (ebook)
*note: a new book generating much excitement among BC Early Learning Networks. ebook is provided here for your perusal
*note: a new book generating much excitement among BC Early Learning Networks. ebook is provided here for your perusal
