Additional Reading

I read / viewed the following books, blogs, and videos and added links to the class blog located at http://233learningcommons.blogspot.com/

1. 7 Tools for Inspiring Transformed Curriculum
   Who doesn’t love TED talks? This blog features SEVEN different TED talks — all
   discussing transforming curriculum in different subject areas.
   http://blog.ted.com/2013/05/09/7-talks-for-inspiring-transformed-curriculums/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TEDBlog+%28TEDBlog%29
   
2. K-12 Distance Learning and Blended Learning: Trends on the Rise?
   We know about traditional learning (in the physical school) and about online learning.
   “Blended learning” is the area in-between. And it’s a pretty vast area. This article
   shows the many ways blended learning is used in the classroom. And it features a
   really cool infographic.
   http://www.onlineschools.com/in-focus/k-12-blended-learning.html
   
3. A Different Kind of ‘Flipped’ Learning: Students Teaching Students
   This article describes a new approach to the flipped classroom in which students teach
   other students.
   http://www.eclassroomnews.com/2013/05/31/a-different-kind-of-flipped-learning-students-teaching-students/?
   
4. Online Resources For Engaging Every Student Every Day
   It isn’t enough to use technology in the classroom. It must be used in a way that is
   engaging to the students. This article offers some suggestions on how to do just that.
   http://smartblogs.com/education/2013/06/11/online-resources-for-engaging-every-student-every-day/
   
5. 25 Critical Thinking Strategies for the Modern Thinker
   This infographic is A-mazing!
   http://www.teachthought.com/learning/25-critical-thinking-strategies-for-the-modern-learner/
   
6. In Command! Kids and Teens Build and Manage Their Own Information Spaces:
   And…Learn to Manage Themselves in Those Spaces
   I love this book! It is taking what we are learning and shows it from the student
   perspective. Things really do make so much more sense now.
   Williams, R. T. & Loertscher, D. V. (2008). In command! Kids and teens build and manage their own
   information spaces: And…learn to manage themselves in those spaces (Refresh ed.). Salt Lake City, UT:
   Hi Willow Research and Publishing.
   
7. 5 Ways to Support Teachers Skeptical of Technology
   This article in how we can support those teachers on the fence about using technology.
   http://www.edudemic.com/2013/07/5-ways-to-support-teachers-skeptical-of-technology/
   
8. Why Your School Should Consider a BYOD Initiative
   Coming from a district where use of electronic devices is restricted, I find the BYOD movement quite interesting.
   This article addresses some of the negative aspects of BYOD and how, and why, they should be overcome.
   http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2012/02/why-your-school-should-consider-byod-initiative
   
9. Node Classroom Chair and Tribeca
   Great video on node chairs and its use in enhancing student learning.
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv0saijwYc8
   
10. ISTE 2013: Building Technology      into the Common Core Standards
    In this video, educators share how to use technology to improve student learning outcomes.
    http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/video/iste-2013-building-technology-common-core-standards

As of July 25, 2013 I have made comments on the following entries on the class blog:

1.   How Leadership Can Make or Break Classroom Innovation

2.   Smartphones in the Classroom

3.   Why Teachers Should Be Trained like Actors

4.   Children and Nonfiction

5.   20% Me Time

I intend to add comments as entries are posted.

Assessment Measures

There are multiple assessment measures that can be employed to determine if the physical and virtual learning commons are moving toward being the centers of learning within my school.

Physical Learning Commons (PLC)

To determine the effectiveness of the PLC, I can track my interactions with teachers and students, tally usage statistics of resources, and count the number of people utilizing the space.  I can pay attention to the resources and tools requested by students and staff.  I can also answer the following: Does the library have what is needed by students and staff?  Are the resources housed in the library being used?  Are spaces and resources within the library being utilized in a meaningful way?  Is the library a place where students want to be?
It also be helpful to utilize a customer satisfaction survey to determine effectiveness of the PLC.

Virtual Learning Commons (VLC)

A benefit of a VLC is that, by its very nature, progress may be reviewed remotely at any time.  The number of interactions on each page of the VLC is important.  Tallying the number of views is simply not enough — determining the level of interaction is the key! If there is no interaction, content on the VLC should be changed immediately.  [Of course, content on the VLC should be changed periodically regardless].

Movement of activity on the Knowledge Building Center (KBC) page can also be used to determine if the VLC is moving toward being the center of the learning within the school.  It is very easy to see which departments / subjects / teachers use the KBC.

One of the most important questions to ask oneself is if a new level of learning in the PLC and VLC.   When evidence of this can be found, it can then be determined that the Learning Commons is moving toward being the center of learning in the school.

Grant Writing for Non-grant Writers

With library funds diminishing, librarians are coming up with creative ways to supplement budgets.  One such way is through procuring grants.  Since I have not personally written a grant of this nature, I wanted to do a bit of research as to how go about writing one.

One of the best items I found that serves as an introduction to grant writing was a PowerPoint presentation given at the 2006 ALA annual convention.  The presentation by Norlin, Phelps, and Keyser (2006) does an excellent job of providing strategies for writing successful proposals, links to how-to resources such as guides and videos, and lists of available sources. The end of the presentation summarizes a librarian’s grant writing experience.  The PowerPoint can be found at http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections/ebss/ebsswebsite/
ebssconferenceinfo/grantwriting

As board member of ARSL (the Association for Rural & Small Libraries), Womack (2012) provides a personal account of grant writing.  Her key piece of advice is “write our proposal with the target reader in mind” (para. 9).  Womack’s article can be found at http://arsl.info/2012/05/grant-writing-tips-for-beginners/

“Keeping the reader in mind” leads to my final article.  McCune (2007) approaches her article from the perspective of the funder.  She articulates what reviewers of funding agencies consider when reading grant proposals.  McCune posits, “I’ve found that you can raise the chances of getting support for your proposal when you know the internal processes and negotiations that the applications go through” (p. 11).  She continues – through the use of marine metaphors – to provide tips that she deems helpful in writing a successful proposal.  For example, she warns to be succinct (p. 14) and to tailor the proposal to the funding agency’s mission and priorities (p. 12).  She also suggests devising, and then describing, some type of evaluation strategy to determine if the funding made a positive impact (p. 13).  I, as a novice grant writer, found it very informative to see the process through the point of view of the funder.

If or when I ever need to prepare a grant proposal for my library, I feel confident in knowing that there are many resources available for me to consult.

In my reading, I found these other sources for grant writing assistance:

The Chronicle of Philanthropy    http://www.philanthropy.com

Council on Foundations      http://www.cof.org

Foundation Center          http://foundationcenter.org

Scholastic                            http://www.scholastic.com/librarians/programs/grants.htm

References:

McCune, B. (2007, July/August). 10 tips for getting grants to keep your library afloat. Computers in Libraries, 27(7), 10-14.

Norlin, E., Phelps, T., & Keyser, M. (2006, June 24). Shaking the money tree: Grant writing for librarians [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections/ebss/ebsswebsite/
ebssconferenceinfo/grantwriting

Womack, L. (2012, May 23). Grant writing for beginners [Web log]. Retrieved from http://arsl.info/2012/05/grant-writing-tips-for-beginners/

“It’s time to reinvent so that everyone wins”

(The above quote is from p. 7 of the text summarized below).
It amazes me that a nation as strong, rich, and powerful as the United States has its educational system ranked 17^th in the world (Gayathri).  One of the reasons for this is because in the US “there is a disconnect,” Loertscher, Koechlin, and Zwaan state, “between the personal use of technologies and most educational practice” (p.2).  Why? Many schools “languish with industrial age facilities designed for 20^th century learning” (p. 2). Heidi Hays Jacobs, as quoted in the text, puts the issue in perspective when she states

Rather than being victimized by our program structures, we should be creating new types of learning environments for a new time and for various types of teaching and learning. Not to do so is a declaration not to learn (p. 7).

This is where utilization of Learning Commons comes in.

I left the summarization of this book – The New Learning Commons: Where Learners Win! Reinventing School Libraries and Computer Labs by David Loertscher, Carol Koechlin, and Sandi Zwaan — for last because it is a culmination of all of the others that I have summarized. It thoroughly explains the concept of the Learning Commons and why it is important. While the other texts serves as guides to the Learning Commons, this one is “The Bible.” The authors define the Learning Commons as “the place, either physical or virtual that is the hub of the school, where exemplary teaching and learning are showcased, [and] where all professional development, teaching and learning experimentation and action research happen” (p. 238).

There are a lot of pieces that must fall into place in order for the Learning Commons to be successful. This text provides information in sections so that each component of the Learning Commons can be undertaken in palatable chunks. What this text has done is break down every aspect of the Learning Commons: knowledge building, learning literacies, technology, collaboration, Personal Learning Environments, school improvement, and connections with people and ideas. Rational is given, examples are provided, scenarios discussed, and ideas abound. All of which leads to empowerment of the learner.

The one thing I really love about this book is that it’s all about collaboration. Just as students shouldn’t learn in a vacuum, teachers should not operate in one either. The book actively promotes participation through links to websites, blogs, and videos, and the readers are ENCOURAGED to submit ideas into an ever-flowing stream of continuous improvement. Just as the Learning Commons should remain dynamic, so do the forces behind The New Learning Commons: Where Learners Win!”

It takes a large commitment from teaching staff, and the school librarian in particular, administration, and IT to successfully implement the Learning Commons. But it is worth it. Learning Commons provide an opportunity for EVERYONE –students, teachers, schools, communities, and the nation – to win.

Resources:

Gayathri, A. (2012, November 27). US 17^th in global education ranking: Finland, South Korea claim top spots. International Business Times. Retrieved from
http://www.ibtimes.com/us-17th-global-education-ranking-finland-south-korea-claim-top-spots-901538

Loertscher, D. V., Koechlin, C., & Zwaan, S. (2011). The new learning commons: Where learners win! Reinventing school libraries and computer labs (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City, UT: Learning Commons Press.

School Librarians: Empowering Learners

“The mission of the school library program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information. The school librarian empowers students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information…” (p. 8).

Above is the mission statement revised by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) in 2009 found in Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs. It reflects the role that school librarians serve in assisting students in becoming twenty-first century learners. Many people on the staff at my high school believe that my job is to simply provide students access to information and resources. But a school librarian’s job is much more than that. Yes, we show students how to access information, but we also show students how to evaluate information, interact with information, think about information, and share information. (Oh, we do a lot of other stuff, too). In our schools we serve as “leader, instructional partner, teacher, information specialist, and program administrator” (p. 18).

Much different from the world I grew up in, today’s youth are completely wired in. While I didn’t get my first cell phone until into my 30s, I know children as young as 8 that have (and can effectively use) smart phones. While I saw cell phones more as a convenience, kids see them as a necessity. I read in another text that students EXPECT to be taught digitally because they do everything that way. In response to these changes, AASL developed standards that must be taught to students in order for them to be responsible and productive citizens in the twenty-first century.

Within this text, AASL has broken the content (and, therefore, the responsibilities of the school librarian) into four sections: Developing Visions for Learning, Teaching for Learning, Building the Learning Environment, and Empowering Learning Through Leadership. Each section begins with specific guidelines, which is further broken into actions of the school librarian. I appreciate that accompanying each guideline are resources which allows one to “Delve Deeper.”

Finally, the end of text provides various appendices including “A National Plan for implementation of Standards for the 21^st– Century Learner and Empowering Learners” and “Resources for Staying Current in the School Library Field.”

In the end, this text will serve as a useful manual for all school librarians. It provides guidelines and actions to assist students to become citizens of the future.

Resource:

American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Empowering learners: Guidelines for school library programs. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

The guide to achieving value-added learning

val·ue–add·ed    adjective
of, relating to, or being a product whose value has been increased especially by special manufacturing, marketing, or processing
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/value-added

One of my assignments for LIBR 233 is to construct a Virtual Learning Commons. The book The Virtual Learning Commons: Building a Participatory School Learning Community by David Loertscher, Carol Koechlin, and Esther Rosenfeld has become my guide. As described in the book, “both the instructors and the students of the school collaborate to establish the VLC as a place where individuals and groups are actively learning, communicating, and building in real time”(p. 2).

As I mentioned before, utilizing a VLC requires a paradigm shift. There is a chart on page 11, which I will recreate here because it is THAT important, that fully explains this shift.

Go from…	To…
Isolated classrooms	collaboration across classrooms, with specialists, across the school,   and the world
Single teacher directed content lessons	collaboratively designed and facilitated guided inquiry and problem   based learning experiences
Individual assignments	collaborative knowledge building, creating, and sharing
Only in school	‘always on’ learning through personal learning environments
Specialists teaching their own curriculum in isolation	the merging of specialist and classroom teacher agendas
Mandated professional development sessions	agendas led by professional learning communities
Prescribed goals	school improvement that is dedicated to experimentation, trial, error   and building success together
Administrators with a top down approach	a philosophy of participation
IT directors “in control”	consultation and committed attention to providing access, access,   access

 

One word repeated over and over again is “collaboration.” Helen Keller is quoted as saying, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” On a recent episode of 60 Minutes, IDEO founder David Kelley said (about design thinking but I think it applies here as well), “it allows people to build on ideas of others…You get to a place you just can’t get to in one mind.” Collaboration of teachers and of students will prove vital in the future of education.

Just a note: The authors, on page 13, discuss how a VLC can assist with the operation and organization of Professional Learning Communities. VLCs can also prove helpful to “singeltons”– those individuals that are the lone person to teach a particular topic on their campus (for example, choir and band directors, theatre teachers, etc). Web 2.0 tools would be an excellent way for these individuals to collaborate.

The very great thing about this book is that it takes each of the five portals of the VLC – Information Center, Literacy Center, Knowledge Building Center, School Culture, and Experimental Learning Center — and devotes an entire chapter to each portal’s creation and cultivation. I took LIBR 250 last year and was, therefore, pretty proficient with Knowledge Building Centers. The other portals, however, I was not so clear about. Each chapter recommends tools of use, provides examples, and gives suggestions. The Virtual Learning Commons: Building a Participatory School Learning Community has already proven to be an invaluable resource in the construction of my VLC.

The book has also stimulated creative new ideas of my own design.  Wow – I’ve just had my own value-added experience!

Resource:

Loertscher, D. V., Koechlin, C., & Rosenfeld, E. (2012). The virtual learning commons: Building a participatory school learning community. Salt Lake City, UT: Learning Commons Press.

 

I wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight

I had never before heard of Google Apps for Education; didn’t even know it existed. Now I wish with my whole being that I could use it at my high school.

After reading Google Apps for Education: Building Knowledge in a Safe and Free Environment by Roger Nevin, Micah Melton, and David Loertscher I can’t
see why every school WOULDN’T want to use Google Apps for Education. As I mentioned in a previous post, even though students are proficient with today’s technology and actually EXPECT to learn digitally, many schools do not utilize technology in day-to-day activities. One of the reasons for this the authors postulate — and I agree wholeheartedly – is that “teachers seem to underestimate the utility of the current generation of information technology or overestimate the difficulty of learning to utilize it” (p.3). But when schools DO make that shift they see a move, as quoted by Thompson, “’from individualized work to collaborative efforts, from individual learning to collective knowledge, from passive to active creation’” (p. 3).

AND IT’S FREE!!!

Google Apps for Education allows for collaboration amongst teachers and students. All information is stored in “the cloud” thus freeing up bandwidth and increasing accessibility (a HUGE problem at my school site). Its use eliminates the waste of student supplies (paper, pencils, glue, presentation boards). Never again will progress be stopped on a group assignment because the lone person with access to the document is absent. Students can enhance their computing skills in order to compete in the global economy.

Did I mention that it’s FREE?!

In order for schools to be able to utilize Google Apps for Education, the fears of IT coordinators and administrators must be assuaged. In the book, the authors give compelling reasons as to why the benefits far outweigh the risks (truth be told, the risks are minimal).

My school is FINALLY getting Wi-Fi this next school year. I would like to think that we are not too far from a Virtual Learning Commons.  Whenever that happens, this book will provide me the tools to make the VLC a vital place. In the meantime, I can practice with the various tools mentioned in the book (this book includes a lot of “how-to’s”).  I also now have access to a Facebook page that explains changes to Google Apps for Education since the book was published.

As an added bonus, the book not only introduced me to the powers of Google Apps, but also gave me an “a-ha” moment regarding Learning Commons: “…the Learning Commons is not a place adults build for others to come, it is a place the users build, construct, share, and contribute to” (p.10).  Google Apps for Education provides the perfect tools to use within a Virtual Learning Commons.

All for free.

Resource:

Nevin, R. Melton, M., & Loertscher, D. V. (2011). Google apps for education: Building knowledge in a safe and free environment. Salt Lake City, UT: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.

“The power of vision translated into action is the foundation of school improvement”

(The quote above is on page 26 of the text summarized below).

The first paragraph of the book Building a Learning Commons: A Guide for School Administrators and Learning Leadership Teams: A Whole School Approach to Learning for the Future (by Carol Koechlin, Esther Rosenfeld, and David Loertscher) explains a conundrum in education today: “Technology permeates the way today’s students communicate, socialize, play and learn” (p. 1). While technology is such an important part of a student’s life, most schools restrict the use of such technology within the school day. And while educators agree that students “need to learn transferrable 21st Century skills that boost their critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, and communicating abilities” (p. 1), teachers, mostly, do not allow opportunities within the school day for students to practice said skills. What can schools do?
Schools must develop new relevant learning models in response to students who expect to learn in new ways using the technologies they use ubiquitously outside of school. The Learning Commons is a real whole world school approach to creating such a new collaborative learning model for students and teachers (p. 2).
Upon reading this introductory chapter I was struck by the knowledge that while technology has changed dramatically over the last several years, the educational system has not. We, as educators, are doing a great disservice to our students by not recognizing the capabilities of technology. This change will require a massive paradigm shift within education.
I suppose at this point it would be helpful to define “learning commons.” Loertscher, Koechlin,and Zwaan are quoted in the book as saying: ”’The Learning Commons is the space where learners and technology merge… For Learners the sentiment is that technology, as an extension of themselves, empowers them to know, do and understand’” (p. 9). The Learning Commons, which is both physical and virtual, does this by (1) being student centered; (2) having flexible spaces; (3) facilitating connectivity; (4) promoting higher order thinking; (5) encouraging participatory learning; (6) enabling collaboration; (7) showcasing learning; and (8) furthering engagement (pp. 10-11). And as the book touts the benefits of a learning commons, I could also see how building one would be great for my school’s next WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) visit.
The rest of the book systemically describes how to envision and build a learning commons model. Items for consideration include staffing, access, budget, technology, environment, layout, and furniture (pp. 52-53). There are also plenty of links to resources and examples.
Finally, the authors remind us that there must be structures in place to monitor progress and monitor success. If progress and success are not measured, there can be no method for improvement.
Resource:
Koechlin, C., Rosenfeld, E., & Loertscher, D. V. (2010). Building a learning commons: A guide for school administrators and learning team leaders: A whole approach to learning for the future. Salt Lake City, UT: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.

The Last Blog Entry for LIBR 285

Even though class is not over for another week or so, this will be the last blog written for LIBR 285.

I’ll be completely honest; this class ended up being not at all what I expected it to be. (Note to self: read the class description more closely next time).
Don’t get me wrong — I read some really cool articles, learned some new techniques and valuable lessons, and met some AMAZING people! The class just was not what I was expecting.

I do, however, know the difference between quantitative and qualitative research methods, and about worldviews. I also learned, step-by-step, how to write a research proposal and paper.
I will now have a sense of understanding of why the researcher conducted the type of research that he/she did. I doubt that I will ever read a journal article the same knowing what I do now.

Children’s Services: Tardy to the Evaluation Party

First of all, I have to say that I have become quite a fan of Eliza Dresang. Her name appears in the reference section of nearly every paper I’ve written while in the SLIS program. Her articles, with her colleagues, are written in a relatable way about a very relevant topic.

I also discovered – AGAIN – that I wish I had purchased these texts as paper books and not electronically. At least I have left a smaller footprint.

While reading Dynamic Youth Services I noticed how similar it was to what I’ve been participating in at my school. We, too, are looking at outcomes to determine learning targets (or outcomes) and to plan instructional programs and methods to achieve those outcomes. So often, planning and evaluation are separate when they indeed should be intertwined (Loc 152). We started at the end…what do want the outcomes to be THEN we develop a plan on how to get there. Along the way, we evaluate if the plan is working. If not, we adjust as we go. I found it mind-boggling that libraries only recently thought of using this concept.

One thing I found particularly interesting was the idea of inputs and outputs (Loc 152). Inputs focus on the number of resources or services available, but do nothing to explain HOW those resources or services positively impact patrons (Loc 166). You can have the greatest number of the best resources but it all means nothing if the resources aren’t used or used improperly. Outputs determine “how a service or resource is used” (Loc 180). Unfortunately only items that can be readily quantified are measured. Of course with money as tight as it is, no one wants to invest time or money into programs or services that offer no benefit, and there are many ways to show this. Dresang, Gross, and Edmonds Holt (2008) stated it clearly: “inputs and outputs are most frequently measured quantitatively, whereas outcome measures are…often qualitative” (Loc 222). Output measures, therefore, allow for a “fuller description of library programs and services” (Loc 194). Narratives and other anecdotes can now be used to illustrate a program’s success.

Another thing that reminded me of what is going on at my school was the mention of formative and summative evaluations (Loc 235). As a teacher, I use both formative and summative assessments to determine how/if my students understand the curriculum (which, remember, has been determined with the outcomes in mind). In other words, I evaluate the process in real time. For formative evaluations, or assessments, I pay attention to cues from the students (Do they have befuddled looks on their faces?) and informally check for understanding as we go. The summative evaluation is conducted at the end of the unit and given in the form of some type of test. The summative evaluation is successful if the targeted outcomes have been achieved. If not, it’s back to the planning stage.

There was a lot of great information in this book. I realize that a great deal of it was written for use in the public library setting. As I work in the school system, there are some things I won’t be able be to use. But as I mentioned in a previous post, while I have embraced this concept as a teacher, I had not thought to do so as a librarian. (I have no idea why either). Chapter 6 reminded me that one just can’t simply select a program or service to attempt to bring to the library. There are many things to consider such as the library’s strategic plan (Loc 820), the mission and vision of the library (Loc 834), SWOTs analysis (Loc 834), and community needs analysis (Loc 846). Once those have been considered, can outcomes be determined, and from that, needed services and programs. This thinking is a big paradigm shift, but one that is needed in order to create and expand successful library services.

Dresang, E., Gross, M., & Edmonds Holt, L. (2008). Dynamic youth services through outcome-based planning and evaluation [Kindle edition]. Retrieved from Amazon.com