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Page history last edited by Moira Ekdahl 14 years, 9 months ago

TEACHER INQUIRY

 

 

 

Ten teacher-librarians in Vancouver are engaged in a Teacher-Librarian Inquiry to explore what is best practice and what are the best ways of sharing this within our TL community.  They are seeking ways to answer the question,

 

How can we, as a professional learning community, support TLs in implementing exemplary school library programs in our schools?

 

 

The Context for the TL Inquiry

 

What do we know about what makes a school library program work?  

 

This is a question that perplexes those who believe passionately that students engage in important learning when they come to the school library.   

 

 

To follow our deliberations and exploration, go to Inquiry Discussions in the sidebar.

 

Other projects and articles have attempted to identify the components of a successful program.  Here are some of the Readings about other Canadian studies and initiatives, particularly Ontario and Saskatchewan, that we have used:

 

Readings 

 

Ekdahl, M.  Ross Todd's session on "building capacity" at the 2008 IASL Conference in Berkeley.  Bookmark.  11-13.  Fall 2008.  

 

Klinger, D.A., E.A. Lee, G. Stephenson, C. Deluca, K. Luu.  “Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario.” Ontario Library Association.  2009

 

Powerpoint version of Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario, from Ontario Library Superconference.  2009.

 

Saskatchewant Teachers' Association.  Teacher-librarians supporting student learning.  2006.

 

Stripling, Barbara.  "Using Inquiry to Explode Myths about Learning and Libraries."  CSLA Journal.  Fall 2004.  In EBSCO Academic Search Premier, accessed June 2, Vancouver School Board. 

 

Todd, Ross.  "The Evidence-Based Manifesto for School Librarians If school librarians can’t prove they make a difference, they may cease to exist."  School Library Journal.  4/1/2008.

 

Related Readings 

 

AASL's Standards for the 21st Century Learner

 

AASL's Standards in Action (WebCite version)

 

Daly, Heather and Mary Locke.  "School Libraries as Classrooms." The Bookmark.  48:1.  1, 7-12.  Winter 2008. 

 

IASL's School Libraries Worldwide.  July 2008.  14:2.  Special edition, guest editors Marlene Asselin and Ray Doiron.  New Learners, New Literacies, New Libraries The issue includes articles by Diane Oberg, Keith McPherson, Ken Haycock, Jo-Anne Naslund, Maryam Moayeri, Marlene, Ray, and more.

 

IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto . 1999.

 

As we work there are parallel Inquiries happening here in BC. For example, The BCTF / MoE / BCTLA have jointly sponsored the TLs' Action Research Project (2009) which is seeking to capture THE MAGIC of SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

 

 

Is it Magic, or is there a Recipe?

 

The April 2009 issue of Teacher Librarian is the annual Best of the Best issue.  The winners of the National School Library Media Program of the Year Award (NSLMPY) are asked to present ideas about what works in "A recipe for your school library"; a winning program is:

 

  • fully integrated into the school's curriculum
  • committed to ensuring students and staffs are effective users of ideas and information
  • an example of standards for 21st century learning
  • a gathering place or centre for the learning community  
  • in partnership with public libraries and other community interests
  • interested in doing what was best for students and in assisting students' learning quests
  • a hub for a foundational continuum of information literacy in the educational community that will empower students as lifelong learners
  • a centre for project-based curriculum, strategically designed to support lifelong learning across the curriculum
  • worthwhile and extended into the worlds of others in and around the school
  • driven by missions and visions to provide service to all constituents
  • embracing technology, creating thoughtful and innovative connections in broad-based ways with an outreach component for everyone in the learning community
  • agreed to do what counted and mattered to all; is seen as worthwhile learning; recognized as having outstanding value to the learning community
  • offering lessons that have classroom content and authentic assessment
  • built upon collaboration with all personnel
  • connected to committees, community, and higher education
  • engaged in analysis and review of their collaborations in order to improve them and to critically assess the wrok and progress made by learners
  • working to design instruction that meets the learning needs of particular sets of learners, including resource and service needs
  • "globally owned" and offering an ambience of shared ownership
  • connecting the learning process with the learning product for learners, enlisting community members in the design of learning experiences and staying up to date with new learning directions
  • an integral part of every student's learning and facilitates the learning of each and every student
  • willing to engage the learning community that adds value
  • seen as having a high level of collaboration with classrooms; collaboration is the mechanism by which SLs are not only integral to the learning environment but also in their investment in student achievement
  • is empowered by its connections to learning, to all stakeholders, and to all decision-makers
  • clear that the program is not "theirs" as much as something "they" manage for others
  • active, vibrant centre of programming with very direct links with expectations and visions of the entire educational community, from parent to classroom personnel
  • the result of "lessons learned" over years
  • a work in progress

 

 

To see the graphic that defines LEARNS, the results of 33 Vancouver Teacher Inquiry projects that define the pre-conditions needed for learning to be successful, click here:  IAAL_WhatWeKnowDoc_6[1] 3.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

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