Lost in a phase...

Module 9: Summarizing and Discussing Phase 2 Topics and Interests

Where did Phase 2 go? I feel like we just started and now it is time to move into the final stages of this class already!

(Pinterest, 2017)

Phase 2 of this course encouraged me to explore some resources and stumble upon types of library environments that I previously did not know existed. Before this course I had not blogged, tweeted, or purchased and downloaded an e-book onto my home computer. So many new experiences; all of them manageable and not scary. Reading the blogs of my peers has also been a valuable exercise in participatory learning and sharing, as I have saved and bookmarked many of the resources my classmates posted. 

If I selected one topic from Phase 2 that resonated with me the most, I would say it was Module 5: Fostering Reading Culture in Schools. I think reading is the basis for everything in life, and often we focus much of our explicit reading skills teaching in the primary grades. I think that we still need to explicitly teach these skills in the intermediate grades, especially as many of our students are EAL learners and newcomers from all over the world. Additionally, during this module my classmates shared so many ideas that I want to try with my own class in the future. I especially liked Brittany Shoemaker’s book circle idea, because I thought that is a lovely way to start the day and encourage students to read books they may not select on their own.

(Lunn, 2016)

Another takeaway I will leave this course with is to allow learning to be messy and to apply design thinking into teaching more often, because success is not a straight and predictable line. ICT 

(Board of Innovation, 2016)

ICT and its use in the educational setting constantly evolves, and teachers have to go-with-the-flow and adapt to changes (I especially enjoyed reading Katy Connelly’s blog on this topic). Thinking about letting learning being "messy" I am curious about STEM education and how a learning commons could provide support.

How could I incorporate that into a library space?
Can the learning commons have a "maker space" or an "unmaker space"?
What would that look like?
How would that be made possible?

(Jolly, 2017)

How would such a space be managed?

These are questions I feel I will probably explore in the near future. A book I am interested in reading is, "STEM by Design: Strategies and Activities for Grades 4-8" by Anne Jolly.

In my own professional practice, I plan to seek out development opportunities so that as the teacher librarian, I can have a solid knowledge base to teach both students and colleagues. I will continue to embrace and explore online resources, and evaluate their educational usage using critical thinking and evaluative resources provided by ERAC.

References 

Board of Innovation. (2016). Insight into our Design Thinking Workshops. [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.boardofinnovation.com/blog/2016/06/22/design-thinking-workshop/

Connelly, K. (2017, October 13). Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy! [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://katyconnelly.blogspot.ca/2017/10/take-chances-make-mistakes-and-get-messy.html

Educational Resource Acquisition Consortium (ERAC). (2017). ERAC achieving together. Retrieved from https://www.bcerac.ca/index.aspx

Jolly, A. (2017) STEM by Design: Strategies and Activities for Grades 4-8. Retrieved from http://www.stem-by-design.com/

Lunn, N. (2016). Want to Be a Writer? Come to Our Smart Women Week Literary Master Class. [Picture]. Retrieved from http://www.redonline.co.uk/reviews/book-reviews/how-be-a-writer-smart-women-week-lliterary-masterclass

National Academics of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2014, March 6). STEM Integration in K-12 Education [Video file]. Retrieved from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlPJ48simtE

Pinterest. (2017). Explore Does It Work, It Works, and more! [GIF]. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/94505292157346492/ 

Shoemaker, B. (2017, October 3). Fostering a Reading Culture in School [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://bshoemaker12.blogspot.ca/2017/10/fostering-reading-culture-in-school.html

Flexible, balanced, and looking towards the horizon.

Module 7: Supporting Teachers’ ICT Curriculum and Pedagogy – On-going Professional Development


Since I am on-call, I will response to this week’s blog prompt from the point-of-view of a high school teacher librarian, drawing on past experiences and what I could do if I was there long-term.

(DevilsApricot, 2008)

Many school libraries have very dusty shelves of “Professional Collections,” and I think it is increasingly beneficial to turn to digital databases for resources, journals, and articles that are up-to-date. Many teacher librarians bring attention to new ideas by having a school website that has a student area, and a staff area where such content is presented. 

As the teacher librarian, it would be my role to be looking out for ICT pro-d opportunities and resources to support an ICT curriculum. One way to do this is to frequently check the BC Teacher Librarians Association page for updates.

I have often thought about (but have yet had the chance to try) creating a collection of “how to” videos uploaded onto all school computers. Initially making the videos could be a class project about communicating information and computer-based skills. A web-based screen capture program like Screencast- O-Matic could be used to record things like: “How to use basic functions in Word”, “How to print in the library” or “How to use key features of Office365.”

(Walker, 2012)

I think it would be great for students to take a leadership role in helping to make these reference guides, and then I would repeat myself less by referring to the video library when someone asks about inserting tables, page layouts, etc.

School-wide, I think that if I found a service that I believe benefitted all students, then I could host a workshop for colleagues to first teach them how to use the platform. If teachers are confident in their use of tool, then they can better support students in their learning. This proactive teaching approach would be advantageous, because I have noticed that students often learn helpful online research tools, like NoodleTools, in isolation for a “library project.” 

I think that to best respond to the needs of our staff, teacher librarians have to be open to delivering the same content in a variety of ways – just like a classroom teacher does for their students. Some just need the information, so an e-mail or Tweet would suffice. Some may need a workshop, where I could give an over-view of key things to know, or advertise upcoming events to attend. Others may need one-to-one support, so I could set-up scheduled times where we could sit together with little interruption. If my schedule was stretched, I could also see if the district or public library was offering any workshops or one-to-one support that complimented the ICT professional needs of my colleagues. 

It really depends on the school culture. I think as a teacher librarian, part of the role is to find a balance between talking with everyone and get a sense of what is needed, and recognizing how the staff like to share new ideas.

References

BCTLA. (2017). British Columbia Teacher-Librarians’’ Association. Retrieved from http://bctf.ca/bctla/info/about.html

DevilsApricot. (2008). Pixabay CCO Creative Commons [Image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/books-old-dusty-library-vintage-785894/

NoodleTools. (2017). A research platform. An educational mindset. Retrieved from http://www.noodletools.com/

Screencast-O-Matic. (2017). Fast, free screen recording. Retrieved from https://screencast-o-matic.com/

Walker, C. (2012, June 3). Word 2010: Insert Tables [Screen capture of video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mXRd3ZPW0k

Vancouver Public Library. (2017). Events. Retrieved from https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/
events/search/fq=types:(5911fd0447b4863400441277)

Jack of all trades, master of none…

Module 6: Developing my own ICT Skills and Pedagogy

“It [was] a gap that Microsoft Canada [was] hoping to shrink with its KidReach program, which aims to put computers in the hands of kids who might otherwise not have a chance to use them.” This donation came with some skepticism, and “the giant software manufacturer [came] under criticism in the U.S. for similar charitable donations, made through the William H. Gates Foundation. Critics have said that by helping libraries with onetime donations of hardware and software, Gates is simply helping to ensure future sales.” (Shaw, 1999).

You might think this was recent news, but this excerpt is from a Vancouver Sun article written eighteen years ago. This digital divide remains apparent and although I completed the “Math, Science, and Technology” specialization during my BEd, and I feel comfortable around tech, I find that much of the ICT pedagogy I learned simply does not translate to the public school system. There is still such a vast difference in the “haves” and the “have nots” within my district, and a lot of it comes down to PAC fund-raising capabilities and corporate donations.

(Reader's Digest, 2017)

Currently, I am at a school where the library opens twice a week, the SmartBoard malfunctions (it’s just a projection screen), there are eighteen ipads for the entire school, and the library has five very s l o w desktop computers that mostly remain off (they freeze loading the visual content on modern websites). If you observed me during a day of work, you might think it was 1999 and not 2017.

For this reason, my use of ICT skills varies greatly depending on the school. I don’t really know what I need to know. Maintaining connections with colleagues becomes paramount, because although I may not be able to do much now, I may find myself in a different situation in a far more tech infused environment.

I am connected to colleagues using Facebook and e-mail. I am also a part of the B.C. Early Career Teachers Association which posts helpful resources and ways to connect with others. Additionally, I check the UBC Education Pro-D, my district’s Pro-D, and the BCTF Pro-D to further develop my knowledge. Over the years as a TOC any time teachers said, “feel free to e-mail me if you ever have any questions or need help” I have made note of these offers! Already it has come in handy a few times when I find myself e-mailing asking:

What was that great lesson you did using ipads?

Where did you find resources on MakerSpaces again?

How was it you used that technology effectively?

What was the ICT workshop you raved about?

After this class is over, I plan on keeping my Twitter account because I like how it acts as storage of helpful ideas and resources. I may also hold onto a few e-mail addresses of classmates who seem like-minded or extra helpful. I plan to scan a lot of the blogs to seek these individuals out!

References

BCECTA. (2017). The B.C. Early Career Teachers Association. Retrieved from https://bcecta.wordpress.com/

BCTF. (2017). British Columbia Teachers' Federation - Professional Development and Support. Retrieved from https://www.bctf.ca/ProfessionalDevelopment.aspx

Reader's Digest. (2017). My computer is slow, how can I speed it up? [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/technology/how/my-computer-slow-how-can-i-speed-it

Shaw, G. (1999, April 29). Computer donations close gap: A Microsoft Canada program puts technology in the hands of youngsters who don't have access. Series: Technology @ School: [Final Edition]. The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.ubc.
ca/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/242783418?accountid=14656

University of British Columbia. (2017). Professional Development for Educators. Retrieved from http://pdce.educ.ubc.ca/workshops-institutes/

Vancouver School Board. (2017). Current Opportunities - Professional Development. Retrieved from http://www2.vsb.bc.ca/vsbprograms/Prod/Current+Professional+ Development+Opportunities/default.htm

You mean to tell me you don't know everything? [Meme]. (2015, July 23). Retrieved October 04, 2017, http://blog.glcomp.com/2015/07/avoiding-jack-of-all-trades-master-of.html