Vision Project In Progress

While deciding the project for this final assignment was relatively obvious for me and my goals, deciding how to go about that has not been! I just watched Aziz Ansari's recent comedy act and he does a bit on how the internet has made us obsess about getting "best" everything. Can't just buy a toothbrush, have to google "the best" toothbrush"! I was having a touch of must-be-the-best syndrome with this project and then realized as long as we TRY our best, the end result will be of value.

I've decided to create a teacher resource link on my school Library blog (click here). After some feedback I realized password protection was not necessary and that actually some students may benefit from the content as well. I would have preferred to have a separate menu tab for this information, but on the free wordpress accounts the menu tabs are static and I'm unable to do individual posts there. So I've created a category, with a menu page that automatically collects that category, but my main feed will still be cluttered with teacher posts which is what I had wanted to avoid. I briefly thought about just having a link to a different teacher specific blog, but the idea of clicking 3 separate links to get there seemed cumbersome. So. It is what it is and I can always tweak as I go!

    photo courtesy http://www.brendaobannion.com/teacher.htm

Next I've created a list of tools, articles and links that I think will be helpful for my colleagues and myself. The laborious part is creating samples and demos for how those tools work, within a context that seems useful. So for example, not just creating a sample padlet, but creating something that I can use in the future, or that will my colleagues will see as valuable, such as a padlet on Residential Schools.

I'm still unsure of how wide a scope I will exercise with regards to topics. I had originally wanted to focus specifically on tech tools and inquiry, but does a definitive focus attract more users because it's targeted or does it exclude those who may be looking for other resources? I think the latter, but I will start with my two goal topics and go from there.

Overall, I'm very happy with how my blog has progressed. I've created a symbaloo which I think is a great depiction of my learning thus far and will be helpful for both myself and my colleagues and am looking forward to posting more!

Vision Rationale

Throughout this course and the LIBE diploma program in general, I've learned how the roles of Teacher Librarians are changing. Rather than just curators of of books and curricular resources, we must now be leaders in digital literacies, proficient models of ICT incorporation and professional resources and assets to our colleagues.

As mentioned in previous blogs, one thing that has struck me through this course is the importance of establishing and nurturing a personal learning network. This is what lead me to the subject of my vision project, a digital professional resource for my colleagues at school, with the hopes of it becoming more widespread to other TL's in my district.

In the article "Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips," Dr. Mark Wagner points out that,

"If you’ve made connections, offered contributions, and cultivated relationships over time… then when you make requests, they are more likely to fall on fertile soil. In circles of educators who connect online, making a request is acceptable and welcome. You’ll find that you’ll receive much higher quality answers and support by asking your network, than you will by simply searching online."

PLN's by nature are reciprocal, so this project is one way I can begin to share my own learning that I've received from others. It can also help highlight to my colleagues the importance of being mindful of their own PLN's and how they can improve and share their resources as well.

It will also meet my goal of incorporating more ICT into my own practice and the practice of our school as a whole. With Digital Literacy Standards very near on the horizon, it's time we stop treating "computers" as a stand alone subject and begin to incorporate meaningful technology into our regular practice. For my vision project, having posts on new tools and digital resources will motivate me to continually try new things and pass on successful experiences to my peers.

Lastly, I think this resource will also help facilitate my desire to become more connected to my colleagues and their personal goals as well as our school goals. We've had a very strong focus on inquiry learning this year and by creating a professional community space, I'll be able to find resources and activities that are inquiry based that will meet the needs of my colleagues as well as show the value of the Teacher-Librarian in 21st century learning.

My hopes for this vision project is to initially target my school and perhaps some former colleagues, but eventually if shared on our list serve it could serve as a resource for other TL's in the district, or even inspire them to create their own!

              photo courtesy of http://teachingclara.blogspot.ca/2012/11/plns-and-ples.html

References:

BC Ministry of Education Digital Literacy Standards

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/simple-comprehensive-guide-on-use-of.html

http://gettingsmart.com/2012/01/personal-learning-networks-for-educators-10-tips/

 

Vision Envision

Thinking about the future of libraries, it seems clear to me that the vision I have for my own space is to be more focused on effectively incorporating technology into our teaching, classrooms and my own library programs. What does that look though? And how do I best meet those needs in my school?


I think what I would like to attempt is a better connection with my teachers. Unfortunately with budget cuts the way they are and library time perpetually on the chopping block, becoming an invaluable resource to teachers and administrators I believe has to be a priority now more than ever. For my vision project I think I would like to create an electronic resource or professional section for my teachers that would help further their goals for inquiry learning and ICT incorporation. It would be a place where teachers could easily access demos of new technology tools, articles relevant to their goals, ideas for inquiry lessons and units.....basically a place where I could share my professional learning and resources and they could share their feedback or request certain resources or ideas.

photo courtesy of http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/35hmxn/

As I already have a wordpress library blog for our school, it seems natural that the format for this resource be a section or link on that page. I've not yet decided on several key things though. Should it be a place that is password protected so students do not have access? Should the posts be directly on our library website or should it be a link to a separate professional blog? And lastly is the interactivity of a blog enough to have an open community of learning?

  
photos courtesy of pixabay.com

Any suggestions or ideas welcome, I'd love to hear if anyone else has a teacher section or blog they use!

Impressions from Inquiry

     Over the past few weeks of this inquiry phase, the learning I've experienced has been tremendous. Some topics, such as fostering a reading culture, were areas I have focused on in the last year and a bit, so while I had a great base of understanding, reading and seeing other people's ideas from their libraries and networks was a great inspiration. It's motivated me to continue to try new things and do as much as possible to reach all the students in my school.
     Other topics, such as our last one regarding worldwide literacy and the impacts of mobile technology on developing countries, were absolutely nowhere on my radar. To be honest I had not given much thought to the bigger global context of literacy and how we as TL's be a part of outreach beyond our community. I'm still torn between the value of providing physical resources versus technological ones, given the state of internet provisions,  educated teachers and trained librarians, but if anything, the research is clear that improving literacy rates worldwide is a priority and there are a lot of people and organizations that are doing a lot of good. I definitely would like to keep those ideas in my periphery and see how it can someday manifest itself in my practice.
     The biggest imprint that has been left on me through this process is with regards to a professional/personal learning network and how we as Teacher-Librarians are supporting teachers.  Before this assignment I had never much heard of a personal learning network nor contemplated what mine looked like. I've steadfastly gone to workshops and tried to stay connected with TL colleagues in my district, but as an endeavor or a goal had never consciously "pursued" an association with like-minded professionals. In hindsight, my PLN is in fact quite substantial by happenstance, after having mentors, workshops, author visits, you automatically start following the work of certain people and continue to grow your circles as a result. But I like the idea of growing it intentionally, purposefully and with thoughtfulness, which I had never done before. Especially in the age of Twitter and social networking, simply "following" someone can have the effect of professional development literally dropping into your lap during casual reading.

(some of my favourite twitter accounts from the past year)

     

    This then is very closely correlated with how we support classroom teachers. I've come to realize once we have well developed networks, it's somewhat of a TL's responsibility to be a conduit of learning for their staff. A conduit with a very good filtration system no doubt, but a necessary step in building the future of our schools and libraries. Going back to Richardson's assertion that education is transformed when professionals share their knowledge, our PLN's can be much more focused and specific than classroom teachers, particularly in elementary schools, and our   resources might not othewise be known.  

 

Photo courtesy of www.getingsmart.com

     These are both things I have made conscious decisions to improve on in the coming months. This website from educatorstechnology.com seems it will be helpful in the process, explaining the benefits of networking in education and suggestions on how to grow your PLN. Luckily, doing specialized course work with like minded peers is also a great place to start!




References:

Richardson, W. (2012). Why school how education must change when learning and information are everywhere / Will Richardson. New York, NY: TED Conferences. 

 http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/simple-comprehensive-guide-on-use-of.html. Accessed Mar. 1, 2015.