Rachel's Library Learning

 

 After reading Julia Hengstler's article, A K-12 Primer for British Columbia Teachers Posting Students' Work Online , I have the following 3 questions: 1. Is there a place for teachers to access a list of approved apps/platforms where data is stored in Canada? Is this list district specific or are there platforms that are approved for educational use across BC? 2. If photos of students or their work are shared with parents with a reminder to not post these photos anywhere else and parents choose to disregard this instruction and post photos or work on their personal social media site, is the teacher or school held responsible? 3. Parents are required to sign a waiver for their child to use technology at school but it is fairly general. Should parents have the information of all the platforms that their child will access throughout the year before signing? Is this reasonable to ask of teachers when they may not know yet all the technology they wish to use with their class at th...

Here is the link to the Langley School District Code of Conduct . My school does not have a separate code of conduct so we follow this one.  The 5 questions I would ask my school population (Kindergarten to Grade 5) would be: 1. What is bullying? What does bullying look like on the internet? 2. Where have you seen bullying online before? 3. What apps do you use on the internet? Do you feel that others are kind when you are online? 4. What can you do if you see something unkind while you are online? 5. What have you learned about being safe online from school or from your family? Reference: Steeves, Valerie, Samantha McAleese, Kara Brisson-Boivin. (2020). “Young Canadians in a Wireless World, Phase IV: Talking to Youth and Parents about Online Resiliency.” MediaSmarts. Ottawa. 

What steps can you take to make sure you have control of your online information? Why is it important to lock privacy settings and set strong passwords? When using the internet, your information is constantly being gathered from what you click on, purchase, watch, like, follow or search. While you may not see a problem with some information being gathered, it is wise to be aware of ways to protect your private information such as where you live. There are some simple steps you can take to make sure you have control of your online information and what is being shared.  First, check the privacy settings of social media apps. This determines who can see your information when they search your name in a platform such as Instagram or Facebook. You can decide how much information you would like to share with those you have "friended" or a stranger.  Second, consider the information you give away online. It is wise not to post where you live or information linked with your banking in...

Problems and Reframes Problem #1: The current use of the library for book exchanges by classes all day, limits teachers to be able to use the space for ADST activities or makerspace with their class. Reframe: The current scheduling for book exchanges is hindering students from accessing the space to engage with technology and the ADST curriculum. Problem #2: There is a lack of materials to support makerspace and ADST that teachers do not feel the library supports student learning in this area.  Reframe: Lack of adequate materials hinders students' ability to design and create.  The problem/reframe that I would focus on first as a Teacher Librarian would be the first one, because even if the library were equipped with a fantastic makerspace, if teachers were not able to bring their classes in to access it, it wouldn't achieve its intended purpose. First, I would combine classes to do their book exchanges to free up time in the library that I could facilitate teachers bringing ...

  I used Google Drawings to create the library floor plan. Currently, I think our library makes good use of the space we have. The chrome books and iPads can be rolled out if a class is using the green screen. I would love for our library to add a Makerspace but there isn't a lot of room to store the materials. That is the challenge my current TL is facing. 

Already in Place - Ipads - chromebooks - color printer - green screen - robotic equipment: spheros - coding apps such as Tynker and Scratch Jr. - desks and chairs on wheels that are easy to reconfigure for collaboration Possibilities for my School Community: - workshops such as film making or fashion design - makerspace cart with supplies students can create with - open ended toys such as lego, k'nex, or magnet tiles - 3D printer There are so many possibilities of ways that school libraries can be equipped to inspire a students to engage in the design process. As someone who is not in a library position currently, I am curious to know how to best stretch limited funds to bring some new technology into the library. Has anyone been successful with fundraising, or getting resources another way if there is not enough money in the budget at your school? References: Compton, Erica, et al. “American Library Association.”  Making in the Library Toolkit  , American Library Associa...

K-3 Design Thinking: Allow students to play and create to achieve a goal or create a design. Encourage collaboration and reflection. 4-5 Design Thinking: Give students the opportunity to cycle through the 4 stages of the Design Process - design, tinker, thinker and reflect. Testing, reflection, and modification are encouraged.  6-9 Human Centred Design Thinking: Students create prototypes to solve real world problems and should have empathy and understanding at the core.  Tinkering: a time for students to put their ideas in to action by creating, modifying and testing their physical creation. Thinkering: a time for students to observe and learn from others' work and to use new ideas to modify their existing product Design Charrette: the process of walking around and seeing what other student's have created. This is also known as a gallery walk.  Makerspace: a physical space with resources and supplies students can use to create.  Taking making into classrooms r...

 

  Here is my updated Professional Goals infographic. From the feedback I received, I removed the background image to make the infographic less distracting. 

  Questions for feedback: 1. Are the colours of the infographic too muted? Should I add bolder colours to make information stand out? 2. Does the background image distract from the information?  References: Adst Design Thinking K-9 . (2023).  Vimeo . Retrieved April 15, 2023, from https://vimeo.com/400420774. Kimmons, R. (n.d.).  PICRAT Matrix . Picrat matrix. Retrieved April 15, 2023, from http://roycekimmons.com/tools/picrat Puentedura, R. (2014). SAMR and Bloom's Taxonomy: Assembling the Puzzle. Common Sense Education.   https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/samr-and-blooms-taxonomy-assembling-the-puzzle  

To determine which online learning network was the best fit, I explored Apple Teacher, ISTE Professional Learning Networks, and Microsoft Educators Community. While I would be interested in Google Educators, my district does not support google at this time. Each learning network offered a wide range of resources and features that would be helpful to an educator at any stage of their career.  ISTE: The drawing feature of ISTE site for me was the interactive, community feel of the platform. It appeared to be a space where connecting with likeminded teachers around the world would be very easy. The topics and resources seemed to support the mindset and theory around technology and how it could be integrated into the classroom without focusing on a specific brand. I liked this holistic and theory based approach. However, the downside is that unlike Apple and Microsoft, in order to join the ISTE learning network, you must pay an annual fee of $85. Without this payment, I was unable to ...

After reading the article, " Online Professional Learning Networks:  A Viable Solution to the Professional Development Dilemma" by  Rebecca Cook, Melissa Jones-Bromenshenkel, Shawn Huisinga and Frank Mullins, I set out to determine the purpose of my own PLN (Professional Learning Network).  The purpose for my PLN would be to connect with educators who are already teacher librarians or those interested in school libraries to gain new ideas, stay up to date with technology and deepen my understanding of how school libraries can support the learning of all students. The first three steps I'd take to create a focused PLN are:     1. Reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses as and educator and determine which              areas are not being addressed by current pro-d opportunities.     2. Set professional growth goals to work towards.     3. Find and join an online PLN that addresses one of my goals. Reference...

I think Design Thinking and a human centered-approach is a vital mindset to instill in our students. A traditional education approach is to complete closed tasks or to make it from point A to B as quick as possible. Students are often trained to recite information and think of content in a right vs. wrong approach. However, the design thinking approach teaches students that learning and creating is a cyclical process that requires modification, collaboration and time to solve a problem. I resonate with Sandra Averill's statement that "testing, feedback and mistakes are a vital part of this process and should be welcome as we learn best from feedback and working through our mistakes" (Averill, 2023). I am inspired by the idea of a human centered approach within design thinking where students begin with a real life problem to solve which gives an opportunity for students to develop empathy for people who have different experiences than them. By bringing a human aspect into ...

  Questions: 1. How can Teacher Librarians encourage teachers to integrate new technology to transform student learning when those teachers are not interested or have anxiety around learning new and unfamiliar technology? 2. How can the library learning commons become a hub for demonstrating and integrating technology into student learning? References Kimmons, R. (n.d.). PICRAT Matrix . Picrat matrix. Retrieved April 15, 2023, from http://roycekimmons.com/tools/picrat Puentedura, R. (2014). SAMR and Bloom's Taxonomy: Assembling the Puzzle. Common Sense Education.   https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/samr-and-blooms-taxonomy-assembling-the-puzzle  

I find this framework helpful for evaluating the use of technology throughout the curriculum because it takes into account both how the technology can transform learning but also student's engagement with it. I also appreciate that this model allows for each box of the grid to serve a purpose. Although it is ideal for many student activities is to be in the Creative/Transform box, that isn't practical for all activities. This framework reminds me that there is a variety of smaller ways that technology can also be used to enhance student learning in the classroom everyday.   

 

The SAMR model is helpful to guide how technology can be used in the school library setting. Within the model, there are four progressive levels of how technology enhances or transforms student learning: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition. While there are benefits to each level, educators should aim to use technology to transform student learning which means to "create tasks, once unimaginable" without the technology ( Puentedura, R. 2014). Within the library, student learning can be supported by the use of technology at all four of these levels. At the substitution level, the new technology simply replaces another technology but it does not change the task. Students may access an online database or record their research on a virtual document such as a google doc. Moving into Augmentation, technology is still used as a substitute but allows students to access more features or tools. An example in the school library would be having students complete mult...

Welcome to Rachel's Library Learning! The purpose of this blog is to be a space to share my learning about the role of a Teacher Librarian, incorporating technology into the classroom, and to share artifacts created as part of the Queens course, "The Teacher Librarian as Technology Leader." I look forward to sharing my learning and connecting with you on this platform!