Which site to use?

Final Vision Project Contents

One of the main decision for my final vision project is deciding on which platform, application, or site to build my own Learning Commons website that is user friendly, budget friendly, and administrator/district approved.  There is the possibility that a particular school district might already have a predesigned website template that is used by all LCs.

I have created many free websites for my sons’ classroom teachers in the States and sports teams in both countries using easy predesigned templates from a commercial photo website company called, "Shutterfly."”  Unfortunately, it would be difficult to use this site for my LC’s website as there are already predetermined tabs and a set format.

Screen shot of one of the websites that I created for my son's class.

There were 3 sources that I inquired about to weigh my options. 

• One source was looking at the LC websites that I liked in the Final Vision Project Scope as well as online.  These websites were built with Google sites, Wix, Wordpress, or Office 365.

• Second source was inquiring on-line recommendations to build a LC site.  Some of the articles that I read were:

         Top 10 Sties for Creating a Wiki by David Kapuler.  (2011).  Tech and Learning.  Retrieved

          from http://www.techlearning.com/default.aspx?tabid=100&entryid=583

          Steele, Howard. (2017).  How to Create a School or a Teacher Website by Yourself.  Superb

          Website Builders.  Retrieved from https://superbwebsitebuilders.com/schools-and-teachers/

• Third source was my son in Grade 8 who has taking summer camps on webpage design.    One of his suggestions was Google site builders but there is a storage limitation of 50 gigabytes available for all Google products used such as Gmail, drive… Other suggestions were Wikispace or Weebly since they both can do websites and blogs.  He mentioned that there were watermarks on the sites and they can be removed by paying for the domain.  He liked Wikis better because he thought the format is better, interfaces are handy, templates are available or you can build from scratch.  Weebly, he said, had to be built from scratch and was the like the Scratch program where you have to drag and drop.

In the end, I chose Google sites to build my preliminary LC website.  The main reasons are:

• familiarity with Google interfaces and products
• typically user friendly
• free and updated
• good online tutorials on YouTube and Google support

Since I am a visual learner, here are a few of the tutorials that I watched to help build my site:

MrMattperreault.  (2017).  How to make a Website with the New Google Sites.  [YouTube].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxAqVT05WRY

EllingtonMath. (2014).  How to make a Google Site for Teachers.  [YouTube].  Retrieved from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2EyvTv8HM8

Teacher’s Tech. (2016).  How to use the New Google Sites - Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm8nEq4jVJg

Learning Commons Website Rationale

Final Vision Project Rationale - Blog Post #2

Learning Commons are the center for learning.  In order to have the learning easily accessible and equitable, it is important to have an online presence that benefits the learning needs of the school community.  It is important for the LC to have a user friendly, literacy rich, information rich, constructive, and meaningful website.

The following are some articles that mention the importance of a LC website:

• Joyce Valenza’s 2010 article, “School library websites Part 1: a tour of high school practice” in School Library Journal mentioned “a virtual library is an essential component of school library practice, and of a school’s learning culture.”  Retrieved from http://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/2010/04/25/school-library-websites-part-1-a-tour-of-high-school-practice/

• National Library of New Zealand stated that a LC website “create[s] a virtual school library to engage readers and support learning with a dynamic website.”  Retrieved from https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/school-libraries/library-services-for-teaching-and-learning/your-school-library-online/creating-a-virtual-school-library

• Carl A. Harvey II’s mentioned on page 36 of his book, The 21^st-Century Elementary School Library Program: Managing for Results, that  “the website is also a great place to share what is happening in the school library…The possibilities are endless.”  Retrieved from https://books.google.ca/books?id=HhZDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=why+create+online+school+library+website&source=bl&ots=UVK48cwl_F&sig=p7QFS_rtTKyD3cb02LKMmT8MGCM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjI0_mP8czXAhUF3GMKHZZGC6kQ6AEIYDAI#v=onepage&q=why%20create%20online%20school%20library%20website&f=false

Some other rationales for creating a Learning Commons website are that it:

• connects to BC’s new curriculum’s commitment to 21^st century learning, the changing world and personalized learning.

Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum-updates

• supports student learning since they can continue to learn outside of school hours and during holidays for flexible and personalized learning.  It is also an extension of the physical LC.  Teachers and parents can also easily have access to a virtual LC at anytime.

• meets the NCTE’s 21^st century framework goals of “develop proficiency and fluency with tools of technology” and “manage, analyse, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information.”   Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/governance/21stcenturyframework

• is one aspect of the  “virtual collaborative learning hub” on page 5 of Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada.  (2014).  Retrieved fromhttp://apsds.org/wp-content/uploads/Standards-of-Practice-for-SchoolLibrary-Learning-Commons-in-Canada-2014.pdf

• develops digital and information literacy as well as ICT skills.  Here is the link to the BC Government's Digital Literacy Framework for schools.  The following 2014 video, “Digital Literacy and Why it Matters” created by University of Derby shows the importance of digital literacy and can be retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2k3C-iB88w&t=35s

• allows students quick access to information and resources that they are accustomed to in their everyday lives

• is a reliable source to use for credible databases, resources, and links for literacy & inquiry needs

Final Vision Project Scope

Final Vision Project – Blog Post #1

Retrieved from 

https://alicebrown.sd35.bc.ca/learning-commons/what-is-the-library-learning-commons/ 

Since I am currently not in a school library, I would like to transform my future library into a learning commons that meets the literacy needs of the school community, 21^st century learning, and BC’s NewCurriculum.

The LC would incorporate the “NCTE [National Council of Teachers of Education] for 21^st Century Curriculum and Assessment” whose framework can be found at

http://www.ncte.org/governance/21stcenturyframework.

Also, there are many good documents, articles, workshops, and websites that discuss about the importance of LC for collaboration, problem solving, inquiry, critical thinking, innovation, and flexible learning.  The following resources are very helpful in the transformation of a traditional school library into a learning commons:

BCTLA’s website on “Learning Commons…” resources that can be retrieved from

http://bctf.ca/bctla/info/learningcommons.html

Ekdahl, Moira & Zubke, Sylvia.  (2017) Learning Commons:  A Pro-Active Model for Educational Change.  British Columbia Teacher-Librarians’ Association.  Retrieved from http://bctf.ca/bctla/pub/documents/2017/SL2LLC.pdf

Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada.  (2014).  Canadian Library Association.  Retrieved from

http://apsds.org/wp-content/uploads/Standards-of-Practice-for-SchoolLibrary-Learning-Commons-in-Canada-2014.pdf

The following 2011 BC Libraries’ YouTube video, “Learning Commons in BC”, can be retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LglFl1BYfFs&lr=1&feature=mhsn

For my vision of the future project, I would like to start building a prototype LC’s website that will allow students, teachers and parents easy 24 hour access to literacy and other pertinent information.

Some examples of elementary websites for inspiration that I was looking at for creating my own ongoing website are:

Gleneagles Cha’axay Wikibrary in the West Vancouver Schools

https://sites.google.com/a/sd45.bc.ca/gleneagles-wikibrary/

Kaechele Library Learning Commons in the Henrico County Public Schools

https://sites.google.com/site/kaechelelibrary/

Norma Rose Point Learning Commons in the Vancouver School District

http://go.vsb.bc.ca/schools/normarosepoint/Library/Pages/default.aspx

The Adventures of Library Girl blog
http://www.librarygirl.net/2011/08/5-things-every-school-library-website.html

Some ideas that I might include in my LC website are:

·      Flexible space – collaboration, problem solving, hub

·      Open space – readily available access to the LC, gathering place, 

·      Digital and print resources, links to my blog or twitter/instagram accounts

·      Maker space – coding, building, arts and crafts,

·      Community events and workshops, public library programs

·      Literacy events, school events, parent events

·      Literacy circle

·      Book and website recommendations by TL, students, & teachers

·      Academic honesty, citing resources, research starting points

·      On-line library, Webcat – online library catalogue, e-books, databases

·      Policy and Procedures

·      Inquiry Learning, Points of Inquiry

·      Aboriginal Ways of Learning

·      Technology – iPads, apps, chrome books, smartboard

·      BC’s New Curriculum

·      Pictures, videos, and articles about collaborating with other classes

Power of Literacy

In anticipation of the closing of my parents’ house next week, I have been busy the last few weeks helping my parents pack up their belongings, donate unneeded items, selling furniture on Craig’s List, and cleaning out their crawl space and garage.    As I am looking through old boxes, I have come across many books that I have fond memories of reading or hearing as a child and teenager in school and at home.  These books were part of my literacy journey and instilled in me the quest for life long learning, stirred my imagination, had me think beyond the text, and developed my passion for reading.  As a child that did not know a word of English in Kindergarten and just recently arrived in Canada, learning to read has opened up many great opportunities for me.

Books in the garage

Thus, one of the main takeaways from Phase 2 is the importance of literacy for learning, growing, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and empowerment.  It is so important to “foster reading cultures in schools”  as being literate helps in all aspects of school and life.  But being literate in the 21^st century has vastly changed with the advancement of technology.    Literacy in the 21^st century doesn’t just involve reading printed materials or writing but also involves digital literacy.   Students and teachers are using multiiliteracies and multimodal ways of learning in our connected global world for deeper understanding and ethical responsibility.  The following articles discusses 21st century literacy:

Alber, Rebecca.  (2013).  Deeper Learning:  Defining Twenty-First Century Literacy.  Edutopia.  Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/twenty-first-century-literacy-deeper-learning-rebecca-alber

National Council of Teachers of English.  21st Century Literacies.  Reading Rockets.  Retrieved November 3, 2017 from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/21st-century-literacies

Literacy is changing.  So just like the students, teachers also need to keep learning and incorporating 21^st century learning in our pedagogy as well as developing our ICT skills so that we can meet the needs of all students.   Going back to university has been really beneficial and opened my eyes to more possibilities for learning for myself and the students.  Workshops and conferences are great ways to keep learning, be current, and share ideas.   I also think that Twitter, Blogs, Instagram, and TL Facebook groups are good ways to see what other teachers are doing in the LC and recommending as resources for literacy, learning and inquiry.  

I think that it is pretty exciting for teachers that we can make learning more engaging and build more connections by integrating technology that helps all learning needs and inquiry.  LC is a great spark for innovation and inquiry built on a foundation of literacy.  For example, when I was in high school, we learned Shakespeare by reading the books, watching the plays, memorizing the lines, and using Cliff notes.  But now, information on Shakespeare and his books can be readily found.  There are graphic novels, YouTube Videos, Podcasts, Google Earth, online notes, images, online dictionaries, Smartboards for photos, and apps such as "Shakespeare's Globe 360 - Virtual Tour app" which is demonstrated at the following Youtube video and can found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brstzAVO78I:

The students can share their learning through group collaborations, drama, digital storytelling, blogs, iMovie, Google slides...  There are many articles on using digital media and Shakespeare such as the following:

Herold, Benjamin.  (2016).  Teaching Shakespeare with 21st-Century Technology.  Education Week.  Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/11/09/teaching-shakespeare-with-21st-century-technology.html

Vickers, Hannah.  (2017).  Shakespeare Week 2017 goes Digital.  Education Technology.  Retrieved from http://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/shakespeare-week-2017-goes-digital

I could also try to build connections with my students by easily sharing personal photos on a Smart Board related to Shakespeare of our travels to London and Verona to ignite more inquiry reading and learning.   Here are some photos that might increase their curiosity and perhaps they can share their own experience.:

The Rose Theatre 
- one of the theatres for Shakespeare's plays

The Globe Theatre
-also had Shakespeare's play

The following  photos in Verona that are related to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet play.  The photos help increase dialogue and discussions. The first photo is us adding to the gum wall at Juliet's house.  The next two photos are  a  statue of Juliet and Juliet's balcony.




I also think that it is important to have a global view of the world and help however we can.  Students need to be mindful of how something as small as a smartphone, can be a large impetus for  literacy development and a better life for someone in poverty or in other difficult situations. Smartphones and tablets allow access to library resources and educational apps which help develop literacy and provides empowerment.  It might also be a catalyst for some students to see and increase the value of their own literacy when helping others.