ASM LLC

AUDIENCE The school community.  Parents, teachers, administrators and board members. PROJECT To participate in a spiral of inquiry around indigenizing the LLC.  Document this endeavour as well as future learning initiatives on the school based website. RATIONALE With the technology we have today it makes sense to share the learning that is going on in the library learning.  "We can raise the teaching profession by sharing what works, by taking the best of what we do and hanging it on the virtual wall.  Many would argue that is is now the duty of teachers to do so." (Richardson, 2012) The weekly website continues to be a place where students and teachers can come for practical information like a weekly blog about the happenings in the LLC, the schedule, & programming information.  Using the school based website to document the learning on the learning page takes the sharing of information one step further academically. Making t...

retrieved from Catherine Nickerson's personal files PROPOSAL To document the learning and thinking of the role of a library learning commons onto the learning plan page of the school's website.  http://www.asm.sd23.bc.ca/Pages/default.aspx#/= By engaging in the school's learning plan page it will broaden the scope of the current AS Matheson LLC website.  https://catherinenickerson.weebly.com PURPOSE To continue the work being done in the LLC last year around communication. Last year I engaged in communication with parents, the community and the TL community in the Kelowna area with a video outlining the work being done in the ASM library learning commons.  You can see the video above. As I engage in a spiral of inquiry around how to indigenize the LLC I hope to use the learning plan page as a digital artifact to communicate and reflect upon the process. ACTION ITEMS Arrange a meeting with the vice principal to be taught how to blog on the district...

REFLECTION & TAKEAWAYS It is that time in the course to do a little self-reflection.  At this point in time my views have been broadened thanks to my UBC colleagues.  From reading each blog I have added to my own understanding of a larger definition and pupose for the library learning commons in my school, my province, and the world. Larger World Views Kaitlin Schellenberg shares with us this video from a Uganda library.  "Most people in rural areas have nowhere to go to access the internet.  Our target was to empower librarians with internet skills to make their lives a little bit easier.  People come to them and ask for the information. In the library you cannot not have information." (Connect Uganda, 2014).  It is clear the internet is a powerful means of communicating information and libraries are the hub of larger communities than even a school community.  Having traveled to Africa, Kaitlin was a true reliable source for t...

World Libraries A Liaison Between Uganda and Canada in Kelowna: It can be hard to talk about world libraries and their needs without having visited or at the very least having a liaison between our countries.  In Kelowna we are very fortunate to have a liaison with  a teacher in our district, Erika VanOyen.  Erika taught all three of my children in elementary school and has since transitioned to the middle school where she caught up with two of my children again.  Erika has a passion for teaching science, but a calling to bring literacy and libraries to Uganda.  Erika takes advantage of the option in our district of working four years at reduced pay to have your fifth year off.  Every fifth year and summer she spends in Uganda.  In 2012 a biography of sorts was written up about Erika which gives you some insight into her passion for bringing literacy to the children of Uganda. (Photo retrieved from:  https://www.kelownanow.com/in_fo...

On Going Professional Development Book Club : My most favourite group that we have started this year is a professional book club.  I love it because we are being introduced to professional reading and we all know that meeting to talk about our reading (whether in person or virtually) is much more meaningful and enjoyable than reading it on our own.  "Practically anyone and, increasingly, anything can dispense information.  Real learning is advanced through the creation of powerful opportunities for mental engagement accompanied by the discerning eye and targeted feedback of someone more expert than oneself." (Ritchhart, 2015).  Not only do I love the fact that we can gather together, but I love that this is an autonomous pro-d opportunity.  It is not the entire staff, but is is two administrators, a teacher-librarian, the LAT/ELL teacher, three primary teachers, two intermediate teachers and two CEAs.  The power of choice, it is a beautiful thing! ...

Networking and the LLC Yifan Wu. Retrieved from: https://ideas.ted.com/an-introverts-advice-for-networking/ As elementary school teacher librarians we often have the unique opportunity to see our colleagues with their classes.  We have a chance to watch each classroom teacher interact with their students and learn by observing their relationships.  Once we ourselves have developed relationships with the teachers, collaborative opportunities tend to present themselves.  I try to keep in mind that  “as a school librarian, the goal should be to look at what students are learning and what teachers are teaching in the classroom and see where your knowledge and skills can fit into that plan.” (Dees, Mayer, Morin & Willis, 2010).  For this reason networking has become key to my professional development. Coffee, Curriculum, & Conversation:   From January until March break teachers are invited to the LLC for coffee and treats while we all shar...