American Association of School Librarians. (2007). Standards for the 21st-century learner. Chicago: American Library Association.
This eight page document created by the AASL lays out foundational beliefs around technology, reading, information literacy, and other literacies, as well as some concepts of learning and equity. It then lists the process that learners go through, over and over again through the course of their (our) lives.
For each step of this process, it lists the skills needed, dispositions in action, responsibilities, and self-assessment strategies (these four terms are defined at the end of the document) needed to succeed in each stage of the learning process.
A teacher librarian can use these standards, in conjunction with the concepts in Empowering Learners, to guide instructional planning, library programming, and collaboration. Just like a subject area teacher would start from the standards, the SLMS can use these as a jumping-off point as well.
The standards dovetail with the fluencies put forth by the 21st Century Fluency Project (http://www.fluency21.com/fluencies.cfm), and could also be used together with that as guidance.
Showing posts with label textbook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label textbook. Show all posts
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Empowering Learners
American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Empowering learners. Chicago: American Library Association.
Empowering Learners sets out a set of guidelines for the school library media center program. It is an inspirational text that sets high expectations for any teacher librarian seeking to develop and improve their practice. The text addresses four main areas, as follows:
1. developing visions for learning, which includes guidelines regarding creating a 21st century environment and embracing 21st century skills. It also addresses the transition of the teacher librarian (here called school library media specialist, or SLMS) from checking out and cataloging books to the role of instructional leader at school.
2. teaching for learning, which covers much of the instructional role of the SLMS. This section defines many different literacies beyond reading/writing/speaking, but also does address the need to focus on reading in addition to utilizing technology for learning
3. building the learning environment, which focuses on the actual school library/learning commons--the people and things that are in the library, collection development, and professional development,
and
4. empowering learning through leadership, which again emphasizes the role of the SLMS as a school leader and the various responsibilities and tasks that fall under that role.
The book has fantastic and varied supplemental reading suggestions in each chapter, allowing someone to use it as a resource to develop much deeper knowledge in any of the areas that it briefly covers.
In addition, it has a rich set of appendices that cover aspects of working as an SLMS.
Overall, this small book is packed with information and guidance for any SLMS. It is a good resource for anyone, and should be required reading for any new SLMS, particularly someone working with an emergency credential who is still completing their degree.
Empowering Learners sets out a set of guidelines for the school library media center program. It is an inspirational text that sets high expectations for any teacher librarian seeking to develop and improve their practice. The text addresses four main areas, as follows:
1. developing visions for learning, which includes guidelines regarding creating a 21st century environment and embracing 21st century skills. It also addresses the transition of the teacher librarian (here called school library media specialist, or SLMS) from checking out and cataloging books to the role of instructional leader at school.
2. teaching for learning, which covers much of the instructional role of the SLMS. This section defines many different literacies beyond reading/writing/speaking, but also does address the need to focus on reading in addition to utilizing technology for learning
3. building the learning environment, which focuses on the actual school library/learning commons--the people and things that are in the library, collection development, and professional development,
and
4. empowering learning through leadership, which again emphasizes the role of the SLMS as a school leader and the various responsibilities and tasks that fall under that role.
The book has fantastic and varied supplemental reading suggestions in each chapter, allowing someone to use it as a resource to develop much deeper knowledge in any of the areas that it briefly covers.
In addition, it has a rich set of appendices that cover aspects of working as an SLMS.
Overall, this small book is packed with information and guidance for any SLMS. It is a good resource for anyone, and should be required reading for any new SLMS, particularly someone working with an emergency credential who is still completing their degree.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Google Apps for Education
Nevin, R., Melton, M., & Loertscher, D. (2011). Google apps for education. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing.
I was initially skeptical about this book, thinking "Oh, I know how to use Google apps. I use them all the time for work and my personal life. I bet I can just find all of this information on the web." The last part of that statement is true--but this book is filling a knowledge gap that has been really holding up my understanding of how to build and use an interactive VLC and how to design collaborative online experiences for lessons and units. The authors write realistically about how technology is used in schools right now, acknowledging that teachers are in many different places, and implementing something like Google Apps for Education is not automatic and easy.
In addition to a general logistical introduction to Google Apps for Education, the book has chapters about the applications and numerous suggestions and examples on how to use them to do collaborative work in the classroom, often using one of the curriculum models presented in Beyond Bird Units. It is really helping me understand what types of collaborative work I could have students do in KBCs and just in general in class.
The book also explains administrative concerns, and gives practical tips for getting started with Google Apps for Education.
I was initially skeptical about this book, thinking "Oh, I know how to use Google apps. I use them all the time for work and my personal life. I bet I can just find all of this information on the web." The last part of that statement is true--but this book is filling a knowledge gap that has been really holding up my understanding of how to build and use an interactive VLC and how to design collaborative online experiences for lessons and units. The authors write realistically about how technology is used in schools right now, acknowledging that teachers are in many different places, and implementing something like Google Apps for Education is not automatic and easy.
In addition to a general logistical introduction to Google Apps for Education, the book has chapters about the applications and numerous suggestions and examples on how to use them to do collaborative work in the classroom, often using one of the curriculum models presented in Beyond Bird Units. It is really helping me understand what types of collaborative work I could have students do in KBCs and just in general in class.
The book also explains administrative concerns, and gives practical tips for getting started with Google Apps for Education.
The New Learning Commons: Where Learners Win!
Loertscher, D., Koechlin, C., & Zwaan, S. (2008). The new learning commons: Where learners win! Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.
In The new learning commons: Where learners win!, the authors offer a fresh perspective on creating the physical and virtual learning commons. The book helps us to reimagine the school library/media center and the computer lab as a learning commons that is physically flexible and also virtually accessible 24/7/365. The chapter "Knowledge Building and the Learning Commons" addresses inquiry, teaching, learning, and other academic-related pursuits in the learning commons. It provides examples of how the learning commons can become a space to work on collaboration and integrated curriculum.
The chapter "Learning Literacies and the Learning Commons" describes the major literacies and how the learning commons can become "Literacy central." It also gives examples of ways that the learning commons can support literacy instruction throughout the curriculum, in collaboration with many different members of the school community.
"Technology and the Learning Commons" clarifies the crucial distinction between administrative and instructional computing, and then goes on to describe the role of the learning commons in the technology world of the school. Technology in the learning commons should be up-to-date and reliable. This was hard for me to read (although I know it is true) because we are so far from this reality at my school and the library in particular. It's a work in progress, and I am gathering information in the course of this class and the 285 class I am taking with de Groot to begin a discussion about BYOD (bring your own device) in the classrooms or learning commons. I know that it will be controversial but I feel that the time has come when students should have access to what they need, and if school isn't providing it, then they should get to bring their devices. Now I just need to get wireless up in the library and keep the device use hush-hush.
In "Collaboration and the Learning Commons," the learning commons is described as a place where all combinations of people can come together and collaborate, on curriculum, projects, learning, school improvement, and many other topics. The virtual learning commons is another place where people can come together virtually from different geographic locations and time zones to collaborate and learn together.
In "Building the Learning Commons as a Client-Side Organization," the authors reinforce the importance of having the clients contribute actively to the site, because this will lead them to also utilizing it. The learning commons should empower the teachers and the learners. It also describes the role of each specialist at the school, and gives examples of what the school library and computer lab can become when they are transformed together into the learning commons.
In "Evidence Based Practice and the Learning Commons," the authors discuss the necessity of using a feedback loop to inform instruction. Students and teachers reflect on their teaching and learning processes in order to push themselves to do better. This feedback loop can happen in the context of an action research project, which is a highlight of the Experimental Learning Center.
In the final chapter, the authors give summaries of people and concepts that have made a significant impact in the field of education.
Each chapter emphasizes collaboration between teachers, students, teacher librarian(s), learning specialists, and other community members where appropriate. The book also describes a client-centered learning commons, and states that the learning commons will be more useful and utilized when the clients help to create the content.
In The new learning commons: Where learners win!, the authors offer a fresh perspective on creating the physical and virtual learning commons. The book helps us to reimagine the school library/media center and the computer lab as a learning commons that is physically flexible and also virtually accessible 24/7/365. The chapter "Knowledge Building and the Learning Commons" addresses inquiry, teaching, learning, and other academic-related pursuits in the learning commons. It provides examples of how the learning commons can become a space to work on collaboration and integrated curriculum.
The chapter "Learning Literacies and the Learning Commons" describes the major literacies and how the learning commons can become "Literacy central." It also gives examples of ways that the learning commons can support literacy instruction throughout the curriculum, in collaboration with many different members of the school community.
"Technology and the Learning Commons" clarifies the crucial distinction between administrative and instructional computing, and then goes on to describe the role of the learning commons in the technology world of the school. Technology in the learning commons should be up-to-date and reliable. This was hard for me to read (although I know it is true) because we are so far from this reality at my school and the library in particular. It's a work in progress, and I am gathering information in the course of this class and the 285 class I am taking with de Groot to begin a discussion about BYOD (bring your own device) in the classrooms or learning commons. I know that it will be controversial but I feel that the time has come when students should have access to what they need, and if school isn't providing it, then they should get to bring their devices. Now I just need to get wireless up in the library and keep the device use hush-hush.
In "Collaboration and the Learning Commons," the learning commons is described as a place where all combinations of people can come together and collaborate, on curriculum, projects, learning, school improvement, and many other topics. The virtual learning commons is another place where people can come together virtually from different geographic locations and time zones to collaborate and learn together.
In "Building the Learning Commons as a Client-Side Organization," the authors reinforce the importance of having the clients contribute actively to the site, because this will lead them to also utilizing it. The learning commons should empower the teachers and the learners. It also describes the role of each specialist at the school, and gives examples of what the school library and computer lab can become when they are transformed together into the learning commons.
In "Evidence Based Practice and the Learning Commons," the authors discuss the necessity of using a feedback loop to inform instruction. Students and teachers reflect on their teaching and learning processes in order to push themselves to do better. This feedback loop can happen in the context of an action research project, which is a highlight of the Experimental Learning Center.
In the final chapter, the authors give summaries of people and concepts that have made a significant impact in the field of education.
Each chapter emphasizes collaboration between teachers, students, teacher librarian(s), learning specialists, and other community members where appropriate. The book also describes a client-centered learning commons, and states that the learning commons will be more useful and utilized when the clients help to create the content.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Elements of the Virtual Learning Commons
The chart on page 32 of Building a Learning Commons has a great, practical list of elements that can be included in a virtual learning commons, including ways to build a reading community, how to make assignments more interactive, organizing technology tools, creating KBCs for major assignments that get repeated year-to-year, and encouraging the production of user-created content. It also mentions taking design into account--perhaps not trying to have a main web page that is the entry portal for all users, but separate entrance portals for teachers, students, teacher librarians, etc.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Building the Learning Commons
Koechlin, C., Rosenfeld, E., & Loertscher, D. (2010). Building the learning commons: A guide for school administrators and learning leadership teams. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.
This book begins by defining the authors’ vision of a learning commons. It is an integration of the school library and the computer lab, an online and physical space, and a collaboration between the teacher librarian, the teacher technologist, and other educators at the school. The learning commons at a school provides a space for collaboration, research, technology use, and transforming information into knowledge. It also provides opportunities for students to shape their learning and have authentic learning experiences. At the end of chapter 2, several examples of learning commons from different schools are listed. These are examples of schools that emphasize different areas or strengths for the learning commons. The book provides guidelines on how to create a learning commons at a school. It emphasizes the need for teamwork, program development prior to physical space development, and areas of focus. It also recommends shifting to a client-centered model as opposed to top-down direction from teachers and administrators.
The book gives concrete suggestions and information to guide a school's transformation from library + computer lab to unified learning commons. It includes guidelines for planning, and interview questions for hiring new learning commons-related staff. The emphasis is on creating a site that encourages collaboration, and isn't just a one-way information dispensing street.
This book begins by defining the authors’ vision of a learning commons. It is an integration of the school library and the computer lab, an online and physical space, and a collaboration between the teacher librarian, the teacher technologist, and other educators at the school. The learning commons at a school provides a space for collaboration, research, technology use, and transforming information into knowledge. It also provides opportunities for students to shape their learning and have authentic learning experiences. At the end of chapter 2, several examples of learning commons from different schools are listed. These are examples of schools that emphasize different areas or strengths for the learning commons. The book provides guidelines on how to create a learning commons at a school. It emphasizes the need for teamwork, program development prior to physical space development, and areas of focus. It also recommends shifting to a client-centered model as opposed to top-down direction from teachers and administrators.
The book gives concrete suggestions and information to guide a school's transformation from library + computer lab to unified learning commons. It includes guidelines for planning, and interview questions for hiring new learning commons-related staff. The emphasis is on creating a site that encourages collaboration, and isn't just a one-way information dispensing street.
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