Introduction

I decided to approach this assignment by doing two things. First, I wanted to get an overall picture of the entire collection at Miracle Beach. Secondly I wanted to take a closer look at a subset of the collection to help address the needs of an upcoming project initiated by several staff members. A year long commitment done in collaboration with the Set BC Synergy Project on the Indigenous connections between First Peoples and salmon. With the help of Destiny’s “TitleWise Analysis” I was able to accomplish both.

When evaluating a library collection, two types of measurement should be used, both quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative can use information gathered from statistics collected by the Teacher Librarian (TL). Data printed out from Destiny’s Titlewise Analysis gives information about the collection such as its age, and circulation statistics Qualitative measurement is less formal, but gives an important aspect of the collection. Qualitative info can come from talking with teachers and students about why they select certain books, using teacher and student surveys and asking what they would like to see in the library. Qualitative measurement also involves examining the collection directly.

Miracle Beach Collection as a Whole

This part of the report is useful in giving an overall snapshot of the collection. For a small school we have a decent sized collection although the average age of the books are 18 years old. We also have a higher than expected book per child ratio. I put 35 into the Titlewise Analysis as it required a number.  It would be even better if the collection was updated to a range of 5-10 years in age.

This section of the report indicates that we have somewhat of a discrepancy between our fiction and non-fiction sections. I have recently weeded a large portion of our picture books and not yet started weeding the non-fiction books. This could explain the difference between the two at this time.

This section goes into a little more detail using the Dewey classification system. It gives a visual representation of the collection by year. Once again we are reminded about the age of the collection as indicated in red.

To summarize, Miracle Beach has an aging collection. This is not surprising considering we have not had teacher librarians for 15 years. During that time there was limited purchasing and limited weeding. Now is the optimal time to do a collection evaluation. Not only will it help determine areas of the most need but it will also help advocate for funding to bring the library up to speed. Our school growth plan has a focus on literacy this year and a more up to date collection can help facilitate that goal. The strength of this collection is the number of books we currently have per student. Most of the books are in good to fair condition. The weakness of the collection is the age, the absence of weeding, and the lack of new materials to support the new BC curriculum. We are only showing 1% of digital material at this time.

The focus for purchasing last year was to bring in more fiction materials that appealed to our student population in hopes that “reading for pleasure” would increase. Students are requesting many different “series” of books and graphic novels which indicates that they are looking forward to seeing an increase in both the quantity and quality of books. Despite our efforts at purchasing, the data shows we only have 8% of our titles newer than 2013. That means 56% of our collection is considered aged.

Collection Evaluation of Indigenous Fiction and Non-Fiction at Miracle Beach

Fiction

Sections 398.2 and E

Quantitative Data

There are approximately 103 fiction titles that can be found in these two sections of the library. The average age of this subsection is 18 years old, which is consistent with the overall age of the entire collection. Circulation statistics over the past 2 years were varied. The Raven Tales series of books were highly circulated while some of the older legend types of books were on the lower end of circulation. (between 1-2). The circulation of the ‘Everyone” books was slightly higher as these tended to be the colourful picture books that appeal to both teachers and students.

Non-Fiction

Sections 392.3, 398.2, 577.5, 639.2, 704.03, 709.01,731.7,811, 918.1, 970.1 to 972

There are approximately a 184 non-fiction titles that can be found throughout the collection. Once again the average age of these books is about 18 years old. It was difficult to conduct a circulation analysis on all these books as they are located in many different sections of the library. Circulation will be checked upon weeding. This process has me considering creating a section in the library for Indigenous books so that they are all together. I know of other school libraries who have done this. Doing a survey of staff and students about this idea may be helpful.

Subset of Collection for Grade 3 Social Studies

Qualitative Data

According to Mardis, “quality components, such as condition of the materials, diversity of formats, cultural representation and diversity of reading levels can also be used in a collection mapping project”.(P.177)

Collection Map for books under the theme of  First Nations’ Cultural Significance to Salmon

The above information gives a good snapshot of available resources on the subsection of our collection that we will be using for our project linking Indigenous culture to salmon. Most of the books are in good, usable condition. This collection map shows we have more non-fiction books than fiction. For the purposes of the Grade 3 Social Studies Curriculum we would expect to be using more non-fiction anyways. The books cover a range of reading levels, however I feel that adding the titles listed below will ensure there are books for different reading abilities. The collection map also indicates that the only format available is books. A consideration may be to add several quality titles in an eBook format. The circulation statistics could be an indication of several factors. The age of the books, as well as the required reading levels required for some students may be too high. The one thing that was a frustration for me was that these books were found in many different sections of the library in accordance with the Dewey Classification System. Sometimes Mr. Dewey and I differ in our opinions on that. In my other school, Queneesh Elementary, I have created an Indigenous Section where all the resources are housed. Both fiction and non-fiction as well as the professional library can be found in one place. The circulation has increased tremendously. Within this section there are subsections of topics. For example, all the books on Totem Poles are together. A teacher can find both the fiction and non-fiction books on a topic and save time deciding which ones to borrow. The students are also more drawn to this section as it is presented in an inviting way with many books displayed for easy access. The size of Miracle Beach library will create a challenge if we decide to do something similar. This photo was taken during the beginning of the process and is much more organized now. We are also waiting for our new sign that says “Indigenous Education”.

Recommended Books to add to the Collection

River of Salmon Peoples

Content Territory: First Nations

Salmon Creek

Authors:
● Annette LeBox

Salmon Stream

Authors:
● Carol Reed-Jones

P’esk’a and the First Salmon Ceremony

Authors:
● Scot Ritchie

My Life with the Salmon

Authors:
● Diane Jacobson

First Fish, First People: Salmon Tales of the North Pacific Rim

Authors:
● Judith Roche

Strong Stories Tlingit: Gift of the Salmon 6-Pack

Authors:
● Bill Helin (Indigenous Canadian; Tlingit; Tsimshian (Ts’msyen)

The Journey of Dog Salmon

Authors:
● Terri Mack (First Nations; Indigenous Canadian; Kwakwaka’wakw)
● Bruce Martin

Strong Readers Set A: Salmon to Share (L3)

Authors:
● Terri Mack (First Nations; Indigenous Canadian; Kwakwaka’wakw)

Artists:
● Bill Helin (Indigenous Canadian; Tlingit; Tsimshian (Ts’msyen))

 

Sockeye Salmon Odyssey: An Illustrated Natural History

Authors:
● Brenda Guiled

The Salmon Run

Authors:
● Clayton Gauthier

Kids Books
The Sockeye Mother

Authors:
● Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)

Artists:
● Natasha Donovan

 According to ERAC, (Evaluating, Selecting and Acquiring Learning Resources: A Guide) consideration must be given to Aboriginal learners. The article suggests a number of ways to do this and the following quote fits nicely with the Synergy Project we are doing at Miracle Beach.

Conclusion

I think I made this assignment harder than it needed to be. I really wanted to make it worthwhile in terms of supporting the teachers who are working on the Set-BC Synergy project connecting Indigenous ways of being with salmon. Happily, I feel that I have accomplished that. However, if I were to do this again I would choose a subsection to evaluate that is all in one place. For example I could have chosen the curriculum area of science and focused on salmon alone. My future evaluations will take this into consideration. In my next collection map I want to add a column for reading level. In retrospect this would have been a wise decision and one that Mardis (P.177) recommends. I am excited to be able to offer the teachers doing the Synergy Project a great selection of resources, once the new titles arrive.

Benefits of this assignment:

• I have learned the value of conducting a collection evaluation.
• I have learned how to access information through Titlewise.
• I have learned how to run reports through Destiny.
• I learned how to create a collection map.
• I have determined the strengths and weaknesses of the whole collection as well as a subset of Indigenous material.
• I have been able to share my findings with administration which led to a discussion on the possibility of an increased budget.

The next subset I will be doing a collection evaluation on will be salmon. Both the grade 3’s and grade 7’s at Miracle Beach are doing the Salmonids in the Classroom Program.

 References

The Community of Black Creek

Black Creek is a community on the eastern side of Vancouver Island. It is about 16 km north of Courtenay.  It is primarily a farming community and is located half way between Campbell River and Courtenay.

According to Wikipedia, “Black Creek was the host to several logging camps in the early years of the 20th century such as the Comox Logging & Railway Camp #3. The area was made available to German speaking Mennonite settlers primarily from the USSR via Mexico or the Canadian Prairie Provinces in the 1930s. They left a legacy of hard work, wresting dairy and fruit growing farms from stony ground that had once boasted some of the largest Douglas firs in the world. It is still evident today in the many small but beautiful gardens and farms that line the Old Island Highway. The Mennonite tradition still lingers in the peaceful valley producing a population with enduring values”.

Comox Valley C (Puntledge – Black Creek) by the Numbers

Age Distribution

The community analysis has provided me with some relevant information about the area of Black Creek and the community of Miracle Beach. The demographics have remained relatively stable, although there has been some growth. A large percent of the population are over the age of 45 putting it on the verge of being a retirement community.  The school is near capacity and further growth would require the addition of portables. The students spend a great deal of time outdoors and enjoy quading, dirt biking and beach combing. Saratoga Speedway is very close as well as a Mini-Golf Center. Mount Washington Ski Resort is only minutes away. During the winter, there is  alpine and nordic skiing. During the summer, there’s mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, fly fishing, and camping.

In order to get a better picture of how to support Miracle Beach staff and students through collection development I need to conduct a survey in the near future to determine where their interests lie. According to Mardis, “these surveys should include questions relating to the needs of the users and to the collection.”

Sample Questions for teachers:

What units of study are you planning for this school year?

Does the library currently have adequate materials to support your curriculum?

How can I help your students with their research?

What areas of professional development are of particular interest to you? ( Mardis p.31)

Miracle Beach Elementary is a diverse K-7 rural community school with 245 students.  There are no English Language Learners (ELL) at the moment. There are 36 students identified as Indigenous, mainly Metis. As a rural school, the majority of the student population is bused. The school is part of the Comox Valley School District and is nestled in the forested community of Black Creek. The Miracle Beach Provincial Park is within walking distance of the school.

 Miracle Beach Provincial Park

For the 2018/2019 school year there are 11 divisions which has remained the same as last year. Historically, Miracle Beach has had a high turnover in staff, however this year many of the core staff members have returned. This will allow for the continuation of long range planning that was initiated last year.

The students come from a variety of home situations. There are several local farms in the area including a dairy farm, a buffalo farm, a cranberry farm and several hobby farms. There has been an increase in young families moving to the area as the housing costs are less than they would be in Courtenay or Campbell River. There are 3 families living in a nearby RV park as their financial situation has limited their housing options.

Miracle Beach has an ambitious Parent Advisory Committee. They raise funds by running a weekly hot lunch program, an annual fun fair, and a variety of other mini-fund raisers. They donate $450.00 to each class for purchases as well as $7000.00 a year for field trip busing.

Staff, students and parents have worked hard to ensure Miracle Beach is a place of learning.

“Our purpose is to equip students with knowledge, skills and views that will help them along their journeys while developing self-confident, happy and productive individuals capable of maintaining healthy lifestyles, choice, and relationships. We want to create the motivation for lifelong learning.”

Jason Cobey- Principal

Miracle Beach has an established sense of “family”. You feel it the minute you walk in the door. Staff and parents work to provide students with a caring supportive environment where students feel safe to solve problems in respectful ways. Miracle Beach continues to work towards a school program that fits the needs of individual students. Staff members are comfortable with the principles and strategies of assessment for learning approach and make every effort to ensure students are all progressing as quickly as possible, using their unique strengths and interests in the process.

Miracle Beach has decided to continue with the School Growth Plan that was created for the 2017-2018 school year.

Goal #1- Literacy

Inquiry Question– As a school community how do we improve and expand student’s knowledge, skills and attitudes in the area of literacy?

Rationale– Overall academic performance is a concern for teachers so it is hopeful that setting a goal around literacy will see an increase in other academic areas. Literacy encompasses many areas such as reading, writing, and comprehension.

Last year the school initiated a school-wide Guided Reading Program for the primary classes. The goal is to continue that program for this school year.

Goal #2- School Culture

Inquiry Question-How can we create a culture at Miracle Beach that allows all students to be included and celebrated?

Rationale– A positive school culture and climate is one where students, staff and parents feel valued, cared for and respected. Such an atmosphere contributes to effective teaching, learning and to genuine communication both within and outside the school.

Although there has been much controversy around standardized tests, the data provided by the Fraser Institute can provide helpful information when doing a community analysis.

Report Card for Miracle Beach Elementary 2016-17 Rank 696/946 Rank in the most recent five years 724/811 School Information Gr 4 enrollment 33 ESL (%) 0.0 Special needs (%) 7.8 French Immersion (%) 0.0 Parents’ average income ($) n/a Actual rating vs. predicted based on parents’ avg. inc. n/a Academic Performance 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Trend Gr 4 avg score: Reading 464 444 448 461 470 — Gr 4 avg score: Writing 515 479 449 528 493 — Gr 4 avg score: Numeracy 436 432 457 451 453 — Gr 7 avg score: Reading 467 448 496 464 463 — Gr 7 avg score: Writing 532 452 551 509 491 — Gr 7 avg score: Numeracy 415 462 468 424 408 — Gr 7 gender gap: Reading M 11 n/a M 14 F 91 n/a n/a Gr 7 gender gap: Numeracy M 20 n/a M 15 F 22 n/a n/a Below expectations (%) 34.8 38.0 31.1 35.6 32.9 — Tests not written (%) 5.8 14.3 10.3 4.8 2.5 — Overall rating out of 10 4.5 3.5 5.1 4.1 4.9 —

Miracle Beach Report Card 2016/2017

The data indicates that Miracle Beach ranks at a 4.9/10 which is just below half of the overall rating score. The data shows that the scores in reading and writing have dropped compared to 4 years ago. Numeracy has remained relatively stable. This is a strong indicator that literacy should continue to be part of the School Growth Plan.

Based on the information obtained about Miracle Beach, I feel that one priority should be adding to the collection in a way that will motivate and inspire “reading for pleasure”. Research indicates that reading for pleasure is not only important for educational reasons but for personal development. (Clark, C., and Rumbold, K.) The collection has been neglected for over 15 years and is in need of  being weeded and updated. I have recently placed an order for early chapter books that bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books. There is also a need for resources that support the social studies curriculum, particularly indigenous content.

The Library

Miracle Beach Elementary was built 30 years ago. It was built to accommodate some growth, but it is now bursting at the seams. There is limited storage space and several support staff work out of tiny closet like spaces. The library itself is quite lovely as it has many windows and backs on to a forested area at the back of the school. Our computer lab is attached to the library. After 15 years of neglect, we are now in the process of organizing and weeding the collection. Both my library clerk and myself are new to the school. We have rearranged the furniture to create a more open concept feeling and we hope to relocate many of the unused text books that are now being housed in our space. At the moment we are using a mixed schedule.  I am there on Monday and Tuesday where we offer flexible scheduling. The rest of the week has fixed book exchanges. I am reluctant to refer to the library as a “learning commons” at this point as we are not there yet. It is my first year at Miracle Beach and there are many steps that need to be taken before we evolve into a learning commons. We will be using the “Leading Learning” document as our guide. It is a work in progress but we are already feeling great about the small changes we have made.

Grade and Curriculum Focus: Develop the collection to support Grade 3 Social Studies

For most of my 25+ years of teaching I have been a grade 2-3 teacher. Since the new curriculum’s arrival, I have enjoyed broadening my horizons by incorporating more indigenous content. My favourite lessons revolve around the use of picture books and the lessons that I am inspired to create. I am a strong believer in integrating language arts with every other content area. This year I will be collaborating with a team that has been selected for a Set-BC Synergy Project. The team includes a Grade 3 teacher, a Grade 7 teacher, our learning support teacher, our administrator and district support people. For the purposes of this assignment, I will focus on the Grade 3 curriculum.

Project Title: Salmon in the Classroom: Life Science and First Nations’ Cultural Significance

Grade 3 Curriculum Connections: Art, Music and Storytelling

• Why are stories important to indigenous people?
• Why do elders play an important part in the lives of First Peoples?
• What values were significant for local First Peoples?
• How has the way of life changed for Indigenous people?
• What was the relationship between First Peoples and their environment (respect for the land, organization and techniques of hunting and fishing.)
• Describe cultural characteristics and ways of life of local indigenous people (protocols,celebrations, ceremonies,dance, music, spiritual beliefs, art, values, kinship, traditional teachings)

Taken from:   Grade 3 Social Studies Curriculum

Resources to Support Curriculum Goals

District Support from the Indigenous Department of SD71 Comox Valley (resources, class visits, field trips)

School support from the ISW (Indigenous Support Worker) team teaching and planning, arranging visits from elders, participation in classroom based art projects.

Regular meetings of the school based team of the Synergy Project- Set BC ( setting goals for the project and providing lessons that connect the importance of salmon to the culture of our local First Peoples.

Local Resources

Wachiay Friendship Center

Komox First Nations Band

Kus-kus-sum Watershed Project

Northwest Coast First Nations Art -I-Hos Gallery

Ancient Fish Traps- Project Watershed

The Oyster River Enhancement Society

Books and Resources

First Nations Education Steering Committee

Strong Nations Publishing

Medicine Wheel Education

Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives in the Classroom: Moving Forward

Salmonids In the Classroom

The development of the collection will have a focus on the Grade 3 Social Studies Curriculum, however the addition of these resources will benefit most grade levels in the school. The grade 3 class consists of 22 students. The teacher, Corinne provided this description of herself.

“I graduated from Vanier (Courtenay BC) and headed to Vancouver where I worked for a year before heading to UBC to get my 2 degrees in Sociology and Education. 

I have been teaching at the Beach for 4 years now and have taught about salmon and raised Coho. I have a blessed relationship with the Oyster River Hatchery and thought adding more to our salmon journey than the raising and releasing them would be to delve deeper. We are focusing on the ecosystem and learning how the Indigenous people would have used the river ecosystem to help sustain themselves and the salmon habitat. We will be learning about the importance of salmon being a food staple and how it was used at ceremonies such as a potlatch. We are currently beginning our Indigenous learning journey through art and form line style. I am learning alongside my students about Indigenous people and have joined the Indigenuous education committee.” 

For the time being, my collection development will focus on supporting the School Growth Plan as well as the Synergy BC Project.

References

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Black Creek, British Columbia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Creek,_British_Columbia [Accessed 23 Sep. 2018].

Clark, C., and Rumbold, K. (2006). Reading for Pleasure a research overview.
The National Literacy Trust.

When I initially read the course outline for LIBE 477 I was feeling sceptical that it would have much to offer me. You see, I already have this “tech” stuff down pretty good. Boy was I wrong! Things changed when Aaron talked about making this course work for us…take it in a direction that will benefit us, so that is what I did. As a result I have enjoyed this course most of all. I have researched and created plans that will benefit my libraries and those plans will be actual, true to life working documents. The course was designed to give choice within structure, something that resonates with 21st century learning.

The most exciting part for me was pulling together all the assignments to create a final vision. I hadn’t decided on a final vision until one day I was sharing with a colleague my plans for the Queneesh Library. It occured to me that I had all these ideas in my head so it only made sense to put them into a formal plan and use that plan in the fall. I can share that blog post with my school team.

Another highlight was making connections with other students in the course. Reading the team blog posts has been a such a worthwhile experience. I have filled my toolbox to the brim with all the resources that have been shared. It has been rewarding to see the growth that has happened in such a short time. Initially many people were pretty stressed about having to create a blog, but now they are actually enjoying it and will continue to build on that learning. I hope to continue those connections outside of this course.

”Why School” by Will Richardson was a great read and one that I will be recommending to others. I wish it was available in a book! I’d have several copies on hand to share with teachers. It’s a quick read and so relevant as we move forward in this technology based era.

So, in closing, I want to remind you;

Don’t judge a course by its course outline!

Happy summer!

Explore online and learn about specific library projects in a developing nation. How are they creating new literacy opportunities and expanding access to the internet and information databases? How can they best move forward to support the local needs of their communities?

Before exploring specific library projects in developing nations, I wanted to better understand the importance of this topic. I found the answer here:

“Technology is constantly developing and with its exponential growth there is much to look forward to in its role in ending world poverty.”

“The effect of the Internet in broadening and enhancing access to information and communication may be greatest in poorer nations,” according to Harvard University. If developing countries gain more access to the Internet it can be a driving force to lift families out of poverty. The knowledge provided through the internet can maintain health, educate families, and open doors for boys and girls who are unable to attend school.”

This excerpt was taken from The Borgen Project who are a nonprofit organization that address poverty and hunger in developing nations.

The Borgen Project

So, what are some of the library projects that support this initiative?

“Worldreader is on a mission to create a world where everyone is a reader.”

Worldreader is an organization who realized that cell phones were becoming more present in developing countries. They created an app called Worldreader Reading app. The app allows anyone, anywhere to access a digital library from a cell phone or tablet. They make their books available to children and families who need them the most. Unfortunately when I tried to download the app I learned that it doesn’t work on IOS devices.

“Worldreader’s mobile application is a single place to discover, read, and collect free e-books in a variety of languages, from different parts of the world. Find storybooks to read to your children, access textbooks to help you with your assignments, or look up important health information you’ve been curious about. Worldreader’s mobile reading app is available on any internet-enabled mobile phone, including on the simplest feature phones.”

I think such an app will provide endless educational opportunities to students in developing countries who may have access to a cell phone.   This is the only free book library that gives you prizes for reading your favourite books and stories. Worldreader allows you to set reading goals, check your reading progress, and see how you stand against other readers in your country via reading leaderboards. That creates a motivation factor. An app that is available in a variety of languages is an added bonus to make this a worthwhile program to explore. Worldreader is creating new literacy opportunities through mobile phones and the internet.

Worldreader is made possible by sponsorships from many different foundations and companies including Amazon, and “The Gates Foundation” ( Bill and Melinda Gates) Hopefully we will see Worldreader available on IOS devices in the near future. Hopefully libraries will be spreading the word about this app to both students and adults.

My next discovery was Liblicense.

What is cool about this website is that is gives a list of available science resources that can be accessed by anyone for free, including the New England Journal of Medicine and Oxford University Press Journals. Anyone with a mobile device has access to these publications. Different than Worldreader, Liblicense provides people with resources on actual scientific data and research.

Liblicense-Developing Nations Initiatives

“Since 2001, a number of organizations have begun to develop or to publicize programs designated to bring high quality, peer-reviewed sciences journals for free or very cheaply to developing nations. This site identifies many such programs and provides links where readers may learn more about them.”  

School Libraries-Gateways to Development

Below is a  statement from the School Libraries Section, International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) I think think this was the most helpful bit of information I found while researching this topic.

“School libraries around the world, in their many forms, share a common purpose: the enhancement of
“teaching and learning for all.”

This is a 4 page article talks about some of the challenges of addressing global literacy and technology development. It also provides some great information on;

• The goal of school libraries
• The role of school libraries in supporting development through access to
  information
• The school librarian as a key component of development
• Recommendations

Below are a few more projects I came across if you are interested in reading more:

The following examples are taken from a book called Global Perspectives on School Libraries: Projects and Practices (Marquardt & Oberg, 2011): It gives a few example of  projects taking place around the world.

• Camels, burros, elephants, boats and trucks are used to bring books and literacy to
children in remote communities in Azerbaijan, Columbia, Ethiopia, Finland, Kenya,
Norway, Thailand, and Venezuela (Doiron);
• The Lubuto Library Project provides culturally relevant resources and educational
experiences to orphans and other vulnerable children and youth in Zambia (Lagner,
Meyers, & Wagner);
• The annual Readathon in Namibia promotes a reading culture by providing children
with stories in their home languages (Namibia has 13 written languages) and has been
the impetus for publishing children’s books in the home languages for schools and
libraries (Tötemeyer);

These examples may not yet be at the ICT stage, but providing these developing countries with relevant reading materials is a step towards furthering their education. It may take a very long time before mobile devices reach these remote areas but they are good examples of projects taking place to promote literacy.

Room to Read: Building Libraries, Schools, and Computer Labs in Developing Countries

“One man’s simple plan to expand worldwide literacy, thousands of libraries at a time.”

Edutopia-Room to Read

“When John Wood, an executive at Microsoft, visited a local school in Bahundanda, Nepal, in 1998, he saw something odd: a room labeled “Library” in which no books were visible. It turned out they were locked in a cabinet — all twenty of them — to prevent damage at the hands of the cash-strapped school’s 450 students. Not long afterward, Wood left Microsoft to found Books for Nepal, which rapidly developed into “Room to Read”

This is an inspiring article to read and I recommend reading the Edutopia article first before taking a look at the “Room to Read” website. The website allows you to click on all the countries that are a part of this project and gives details on what is being done to support their education. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports many of the Room to Read initiatives around the world. In order to measure their impact on developing countries they “commissioned an independent, external research team to examine our libraries in Laos, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and South Africa. To establish a baseline, we began evaluations at the schools before a Room to Read library was established and tracked progress in reading habits over the course of two years.

Across all six countries, the evaluators visited more than 2,400 schools and interviewed more than 20,000 children.

The most exciting takeaway from the study is that we have been able to confirm empirically that our libraries are helping children become independent readers. In India, Laos, Nepal and Sri Lanka, 51 percent of children from schools with a Room to Read library were reading for enjoyment at school — compared to only 29 percent of children from comparison schools without a Room to Read library.” 

This is a not a huge difference in numbers, but it is significant. I think it is so important to take a step back and evaluate whether or not different initiatives are having an impact. We would assume that providing books to these libraries would have an impact on their reading to a certain degree but having data always reinforces our commitment to continue or abandon projects. It is especially important that the study indicated children were reading for pleasure.

This video tells the story of John and his promotion of literacy.

Can mobile phones support education in developing countries?

Simply put, yes! If there is access to the internet and wifi, then mobile phones can change the way people learn and ultimately change the way they live. The biggest challenge is to provide access to the remote areas of developing countries. The following websites provide an inside look as to why this is so important.

How Mobile Phones Are Changing the Developing World

“Technology has the potential to lift people out of poverty. All signs point to the developing world skipping past the eras of landlines and desktop computers and going straight to mobile. That potential for two-way communication is changing the face of international development. “For the first time ever, we’re able to have a clear line to people who are in the middle of nowhere to give them a sense of a future, information, opportunity and choice,” says Chris Fabian, co-lead of UNICEF’s Innovation.

Education

“Mobile phones and tablets are bringing teachers to students in underserved regions like never before, thanks to dropping hardware costs. Rumie’s low-power tablets, pre-loaded with entire libraries, first got sent into action during the Ebola crisis, when schools in Liberia were shut down for months. Teachers are learning, too: A program in Pakistan provided instructors with videos on teaching methods that they could download at free hotspots.

UNICEF’s EduTrac works much like U-Report, but focuses on teachers. Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports is able to reach out to subscribed teachers to check on attendance, facilities and supplies without driving hundreds of miles to visit each site. Mobile banking can help education, too: A school in Bangladesh has allowed parents to make payments via mobile phone whenever is convenient for them, in small amounts or pre-paying large amounts.”

Worldreader. (2018). Worldreader | Creating A World Where Everyone Can Be A Reader. [online] Available at: https://www.worldreader.org/ [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

Liblicense.crl.edu. (2018). LIBLICENSE. [online] Available at: http://liblicense.crl.edu/ [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

 Ifla.org. (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/hq/topics/libraries-development/documents/school-libraries-brief.pdf [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

Lubuto Library Partners. (2018). Home. [online] Available at: https://www.lubuto.org/ [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

READ Educational Trust. (2018). Readathon | READ Educational Trust. [online] Available at: http://www.read.org.za/what-we-do/readathon/ [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

Edutopia. (2018). Room to Read: Building Libraries, Schools, and Computer Labs in Developing Countries | Edutopia. [online] Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/global-education-libraries-developing-countries [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

http://www.roomtoread.org/

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (2018). Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. [online] Available at: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

Conklin, K. (2018). John Wood Left Microsoft to Change the World by Building Libraries in Third World Countries | Inspire My Kids. [online] Inspire My Kids. Available at: http://www.inspiremykids.com/2010/john-wood-left-microsoft-to-change-the-world-by-building-libraries-in-third-world-countries/ [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

Innovation, U., Innovation, U. and Innovation, U. (2018). How Mobile Phones Are Changing the Developing World – Stories of Innovation. [online] Stories of Innovation. Available at: https://blogs.unicef.org/innovation/how-mobile-phones-are-changing-the-developing-world/ [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

Time. (2018). http://time.com. [online] Available at: http://time.com/74584/unesco-study-mobile-phones-book-reading-literacy/ [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

Having the ability to support the teachers in my school when it comes to technology is one of my passions. I have always taken an active role in technology integration both as a classroom teacher and now as a teacher librarian. I have been a designated school technology resource person for over 15 years.

While part of this role has been to support students, it has also involved helping teachers as well. Most of my Pro-D has been delivered at staff meetings. I usually present a new program or app as an introduction and then offer further support depending on interests and needs of the group. If more than a couple of people would like to delve deeper into something I will offer a session after school. Quite a bit of my support happens spontaneously as a teacher will approach me and say “Can you quickly show me…..”. I don’t mind. More often than not I’ve had teachers come rushing into my classroom panicking because something they are trying is not working. I don’t mind that either.

My biggest priority is to continually introduce staff to what is available to support their teaching and learning. Moving from the classroom to the library gives me even more of an opportunity to do this. I can work with both teachers and students to work through something new in a collaborative way.

For starters, I would like to introduce my staff to Will Richardson’s “Why School?” book. I think it is a great way to look at the pedagogy around technology use in schools. I’m hoping to share this video in the fall. Ideally it would be great to share at a staff meeting but 20 minutes is a large chunk of time so it may have to be sent out by email. The video touches on many of the same things as the book.

I found this great article on Edutopia.

5 Tips to Help Teachers with Technology

“I’m not very tech savvy” is the response I usually hear from teachers that struggle with technology. Whether it’s attaching a document to an email or creating a PowerPoint, some teachers really have a difficult time navigating the digital world. As schools around the globe begin to embed the use of technology in their learning environments, these teachers can be left feeling frustrated and marginalized by the new tools they are required to use but do not understand.” This article gives some valuable tips to help teachers move forward in their ICT development.

Here is an article from 

It stresses the importance of having teacher input on the types of technologies implemented as well as the importance of on-going training.

What Needs to Change

“Despite the fast-paced advances in the development of technology, technology can be used well if the teachers are first educated on how to take advantage of the resources that they have available to them. Teachers do not only need fancy apps and computer programs, but they also need proper training, as well as simple devices with easy to use features, affordable gadgets and programs, and ongoing support.”

HELPING TEACHERS USE TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS TEACH

This year I was introduced to Everfi.

“EVERFI helps teachers prepare students to face real life challenges—now and in the future. Thanks to hundreds of partners who share our mission, EVERFI offers free digital resources and local implementation support to help elementary, middle and high school teachers equip their students with skills for life.”

I invited one of the Everfi coordinators into both my schools and they did an hockey stem unit. Both teachers and students loved it. Everfi offers several different modules including Financial Education, Stem and Career Readiness, Cultural Literacy and Summer learning. It’s easy to sign up and it is offered for free. I’m looking forward to further implementation next year.

Survey

In the fall I plan on creating a staff survey to get a better sense of the ICT needs of staff members. This will include support staff as well as teachers. It will help in planning some of the support I can offer them throughout the year.

Brochure

Over the summer months I would like to create a brochure that can be given to staff to outline what a teacher librarian can help with. I found this visual that I really liked.

I came across this website that I thought would be helpful in the future. It is totally amazing! It would take days to get through all the resources posted here. It also has great “librarian” cartoons! You must check it out!

A Media Specialists Guide to the Internet

Coffee Talk

An unexpected thing happened in one of my school libraries this year. The staff members in this particular school were not coffee drinkers! Can you imagine! I was really struggling without my afternoon caffeine boost. So, I set up a coffee station in my library office. I put in a coffee maker and a fridge. Well, there were in fact coffee drinkers in the school and they often stopped by for a cup of java. This turned out to be a great opportunity to collaborate and talk about all things “library” including how I could support them in their ICT development.

Coffee Station at Valley View Library

District Support

I work closely with our District Technology Support Teacher, Kara Dawson. I am often promoting her skill set with my staff members. Kara is often available to come out to classes to support teachers with technology integration. I often invite her in to the library to work with a class and and then I am learning something new as well as the classroom teacher. Kara posts Tuesday Tech Tips and has a blog called Kara’s Corner. Kara’s Corner

One of the best parts of becoming a teacher librarian is that allows me to continue a leadership role in the area of technology integration with both staff and students. It allows me to continue to develop one of my passions and I couldn’t be more happy about that!

References:

YouTube. (2018). Transforming Education : Will Richardson at (co)lab summit 2013. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TZfWqao6uA [Accessed 9 Jun. 2018].

Edutopia. (2018). 5 Tips to Help Teachers Who Struggle with Technology | Edutopia. [online] Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/help-teachers-struggling-with-technology-josh-work [Accessed 9 Jun. 2018].

(IFSP), A., Citizenship, A., Program, H., Creativity, 1., Ways, F., Classroom, H., Age?, H., Users?, W., Classroom, U., Conference, H. and data, H. (2018). Helping Teachers Use Technology and Technology Experts Teach – The Tech Edvocate. [online] The Tech Edvocate. Available at: http://www.thetechedvocate.org/helping-teachers-use-technology-technology-experts-teach/ [Accessed 9 Jun. 2018].

EVERFI, I. (2018). K-12 Educators | EVERFI. [online] EVERFI. Available at: https://everfi.com/partners/k-12-educators/ [Accessed 9 Jun. 2018].

Mediaspecialistsguide.blogspot.com. (2018). Teacher-Librarians. [online] Available at: http://mediaspecialistsguide.blogspot.com/p/media-specialists-and-teacher.html [Accessed 9 Jun. 2018].

How can I continue to develop my own skills, pedagogy and professional development on my own, back in my own library/classroom and environment?

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of continuing my own pedagogy and professional development is the on going resources within my own district. For example, even though I am no longer a school technology contact, I continue to participate in the monthly Pro-D they offer. It is a time of sharing, a time for trouble-shooting technology issues and a time for collaboration.

We have district curriculum support teachers who are instrumental in curriculum development. For example, before I started doing any lessons on residential schools, I had the two Aboriginal Curriculum Support teachers come to my school to model the lessons. It was so worthwhile to hear the way they approached a difficult topic and I learned how to tie in picture books with each lesson.

As Teacher Librarians in the Comox Valley, we have had the luxury of meeting once a month with our District Principal. Initially it was just the elementary librarians who were meeting but more recently the secondary teacher librarians have joined in. It is a time valued by all. We are given the opportunity to discuss and share everything and anything going on in our libraries. Our district teacher librarian shares new resources with us. We often have a ½ hour of tech time where our district technology specialist introduces us to new and exciting things we may want to explore in our own schools. We have been working on developing a scope and sequence for K-12 library skills. We have also been spending time working through the “Leading Learning” document put out by the Canadian Library Association  on Standards Of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. I highly recommend other districts initiating a monthly meeting. We meet first thing in the morning once a month. We block off the time on our schedules and have the support of both our senior management and our administrators.

I am part of an Island Leadership Coalition that has met several times throughout the year in Nanaimo. Along with other local teacher librarians, principals and vice-principals, we are addressing the transition from library to learning commons. The premise of this coalition is to “lead from where you are” and as such we are taking on a leadership role in our district to thoughtfully and strategically implement a learning commons model in our elementary schools. We are still in the planning stages but this coalition has connected us with other districts who are a few steps ahead of us. We are als0 using the “Leading Learning” document put out by the Canadian Library Association on Standards Of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada for this initiative.

What strategies, tools, resources and networks can I implement to maintain my explorations and development?

Where do I start with this one? As somewhat of a techie, I’m constantly on the internet searching for new things to explore. Of course, I have some favourite places but there will be too many to list here. I will share a few!

Edutopia      

I have subscribed to this website for many years now. It pops up on my Facebook feed which I love because I can see interesting articles I may want to read. I also follow Edutopia on Twitter. It has a search option and you can search anything educational and often find numerous articles on a topic.

The Techie Teacher

This is a blog I also subscribe to. It has been a fabulous resource for anything technology related.

“I’m Julie, a lover of everything related to educational technology. One of my biggest passions is collaborating with and learning from others around the world. This blog was created to help give teachers techie ideas that promote creativity and innovation in their classrooms.”

I also enjoy watching educational videos. Ted Talks is great source of information.

I can’t imagine life without You Tube! I use it at home, I use it for my courses and I use it with students.

Professional Resources

Here is my current reading list:

What are some of the ways that educators and professionals are connecting and sharing their learning?

I enjoy using the following:

Twitter:

Hear what people are talking about.

“The world’s largest listserv for school libraries. The #1 professional development resource for school library professionals serving over 11,000 members around the world.”

LM-Net

Blogs:

I follow many different blogs. They are listed on my home page. Blogs are useful sources of information and provide a wonderful way to share with others.

Destiny Collections: I love this one!

“Destiny Collections creates new, collaborative ways for librarians, teachers and students to share free or purchased resources across the district, school or with other users. Students and teachers can access district resources in Destiny Discover and add them to any Collection. Each collection can include web pages, images, documents, eBooks, and more! Collections can also be shared publicly or kept private. With Collections, teachers can quickly pair content to instruction, and students can collect and curate resources for assignments, projects and tasks.”

https://www.follettlearning.com/technology/products/library-management-system/collections-by-destiny

Microsoft Office 365:

Office 365 includes OneDrive which allows you to share documents with others. A document can be shared, edited, and shared back. It also can be a valuable tool for students and teachers.

Microsoft Team: Also part of the Office 365 Suite. It allows sharing of information between teams of people. We are using it to collaborate in our Learning Commons Committee.

Symbaloo:

Symbaloo is a cloud-based application that allows users to organize and categorize web links in the form of buttons. Symbaloo works from a web browser and can be configured as a homepage, allowing users to create a personalized virtual desktop accessible from any device with an Internet connection. It can also be shared with others. Here is one page of my Symbaloo.

What can you do during this class and after it is over to maintain your connections and networks, to further develop your knowledge, experience and skills?

It seems several of us have been moving through our UBC courses together. We are part of a cohort. Although we don’t all know one another personally, we are getting to know one another virtually. I am also fortunate to be in the same cohort as 4 people from my own district. 3 of us are working as first year TL’s. We have our own network right here in the valley. I also will continue to stay connected through Twitter and by following the blogs of my cohort classmates. Many of the tools I started using in my first UBC course have become part of my teacher librarian tool kit and I can only see that tool kit getting bigger and better as we move along.

References:

Llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca. (2018). Leading Learning – Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. [online] Available at: http://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/ [Accessed 2 Jun. 2018].

Edutopia. (2018). Home | Edutopia. [online] Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/ [Accessed 2 Jun. 2018].

The Techie Teacher®. (2018). [online] Available at: http://www.thetechieteacher.net/ [Accessed 2 Jun. 2018].

Follettlearning.com. (2018). Collections by Destiny | Follett. [online] Available at: https://www.follettlearning.com/technology/products/library-management-system/collections-by-destiny [Accessed 2 Jun. 2018].

Symbaloo.com. (2018). Symbaloo. [online] Available at: https://www.symbaloo.com/ [Accessed 2 Jun. 2018].

This is good……really good! 

The quote below was taken from the National Library website in New Zealand and describes the importance of developing a school-wide reading culture and some of the benefits.

“Creating a reading culture in a school is essential if you want to encourage students to become engaged and motivated readers. Developing a reading culture takes time and requires the commitment of the principal and staff.

To create a reading culture the principal, teacher librarian and staff need:

• to understand the impact of reading on student achievement
• a shared vision of the school’s reading culture
• to know why a reading culture is important
• to know what an engaged reader looks like
• to fully support the library and its resources, services and programs.

What is reading engagement?

Engaged readers:

• get immersed in their reading — they read for pleasure, and to satisfy their curiosity
• discover information and stories that help them learn and achieve
• are motivated to read and learn more — which makes reading easier and more enjoyable, and creates a ‘virtuous circle’ of constant improvement.

Social benefits of reading engagement

Reading for pleasure leads to a range of positive individual and social outcomes.

Research about reading for pleasure shows clear links to improved literacy and learning outcomes. But there are other significant benefits too. People who read for enjoyment show greater empathy for others. Reading helps develop critical thinking skills and a flourishing imagination. Reading can reduce symptoms of depression, and improve communication between parents and children.”

(National Library, Government of New Zealand)

How am I currently fostering a reading culture?

Student and Teacher Requests

We keep an ongoing list of student and teacher requests for books. It is in a shared document so that both myself and my clerks have access to it. When I am putting in a book order I go through the list and add most requests. When the books arrive we remove them from the list. It is efficient and easy to organize.

Book Talks

I’m always excited to share books with students. I will often pull a series out, lay them on a table and talk about the main theme of the books. Right now one of my schools has seen a peak in “scary” books so I focus on that genre and they fly out the door. I always include books of varying reading levels so I can entice most of the students. I also encourage the students to come back and tell me what they thought of a particular book or series. I have found that promoting series of books keeps the students coming back for more. If they get hooked on one, chances are they will keep reading the rest.

Here are some great ideas for encouraging kids to read book series: Reading Book Series

eBooks

We have a large selection of eBooks available on Destiny and during our fall orientations I taught students how to find those books. They were hooked once they realized that the eBooks could be downloaded to their personal devices. One student in particular travels frequently for hockey so he really appreciated having books he could listen to on long drives. eBooks also support students who struggle with reading.

Displays

I love creating displays of books! My clerks and I often have a chuckle because every time we put up a new display of books, all the books get signed out! I have a collection of about 25 Mo Willems books so I made a beautiful display. The next day every single book was gone. My clerk and I looked at one another and said “Who’s next?” We went with Eric Carle.

Book Fairs

I have hosted 3 Scholastic Book Fairs this year. I find book fairs are a wonderful way to connect with students and parents. It allows me to chat with parents about reading and I get a first hand look at what kinds of books are the most popular. I had no idea Ninjago was still such a big deal! I also earned book fair reward points that really helped to supplement my collections.

Red Cedar Awards

There are so many things you can do with the Red Cedar nominated books. In one class we used an app called FLIPGRID where students made video book reports about the book they had read. The book reports were shared and soon the most popular books were always signed out.

Golden Ticket

In both my libraries we often end up with duplicate copies of books. As a solution I started putting a Golden Ticket in one of the copies. If a student picked that book they got to keep the book! They had to be sworn to secrecy first of course, otherwise all the books would be torn open in search of more tickets.

I also have a reserve tub of books they can choose from if the book they found wasn’t to their liking. Thanks to Scholastic for this idea!

Graphic Novels

Wow! We can’t keep up with the shelving of our Graphic Novels! We finally just put them in tubs and labeled them “Graphic Novels”. Talk about a time saver!

Here is a good article I want to share about the popularity of graphic novels and why I promote them in my libraries!

How graphic novels help build children’s literacy skills

Reading motivation. Graphic novels are very popular, and especially appealing to readers who may not pick up a more traditional book on their own. They can be a “welcoming door” for reluctant or struggling readers (especially boys) who are drawn to the lively storylines and illustrations, and the smart but limited text. Quick, fun reads build confidence!

Visual literacy. The pictures in graphic novels are expressive, simple, and rich all at the same time. The images provide big clues about character and plot and encourage readers to look closely. Some graphic novels (such as Owly and The Adventures of Polo) are wordless, so the pictures must carry the full story.

Story structure. Most graphic novels for young readers have easy-to-follow plots. This can help children learn about how a story is stitched together. After sharing a graphic novel together, ask your child to tell you the basic plot of the story: “First this happened, then this … and at the end …”

Word learning for struggling readers and English language learners.  Although individual words in a graphic novel can be sophisticated, the side-by-side Illustrations and text provide strong clues to their meaning.

Don’t forget to share graphic novels together — they make great read alouds!

Borrowed from: 

What tools, strategies and resources can be implemented to encourage and support a school-wide reading program?

My future goals:

School Newsletters

I’d like to start contributing to our monthly school newsletters. It would be a great way to promote reading and books to parents. There are all kinds of informative resources available to share with parents about the importance of reading for both pleasure and knowledge.

School Library Blog

One of my goals for next year is to start a Library Blog. This would be a great place to showcase some of the reading activities we participate in and promote literacy. Anna Crosland is my hero! Her blog inspires me on so many levels. George S Vanier Library

Public Library Cards

During the Summer months, students will not have access to our school library. I would like to continue to promote reading by providing students with their own public library cards. I want to have applications on hand and encourage students and parents to sign up.

A few more ideas borrowed from the National Library, Government of New Zealand:

Displays in foyers, corridors, principal’s office and in the grounds around the school are a useful way to promote a school-wide reading culture.

Exploring this topic has given me some new ideas to promote reading in my schools. I think  the key is to keep drawing attention to the new and exciting things that are going on in the library. It needs to be a place where students, teachers and parents feel comfortable.

References:

Natlib.govt.nz. (2018). Reading engagement | Services to Schools. [online] Available at: https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/reading-engagement [Accessed 25 May 2018].

Edutopia. (2018). A School-Wide Culture of Reading | Edutopia. [online] Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/practice/series-reading-program-creating-culture-reading [Accessed 25 May 2018].

Reading Rockets. (2018). Graphic Novels for Young Kids. [online] Available at: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/graphic-novels-young-kids [Accessed 25 May 2018].

Georgesvanierlibrary.edublogs.org. (2018). | Anna Crosland T.L.. [online] Available at: https://georgesvanierlibrary.edublogs.org/ [Accessed 25 May 2018].