Determining the True Problems: I have been a grade 2/3 primary teacher at my school for the last two years and watched the enthusiasm of our new librarian in her new position this past year, take on the challenge of transforming our library space into a welcoming flexible, creative space for whole class PBL collaboration activities. She with the support of the principal, purchased mobile, comfortable furniture, began collaborating with teachers on PBL lessons in the library, and has future plans for this coming year to put rollers on the bookshelves, and convinced the principal to purchase more ipads and another laptop cart for this coming year to meet the growing population and new curriculum demands. Our school is going to be even more resource rich, and with some input from the teachers, I hope to find some trends that will enhance the TLs ability to support our teacher and student learning needs. Beginning the Process of Inquiry and Design: The six questions I chose to include in the Survey I created using Survey Monkey were:
Examining the Trends: Our school has over 200 students in grades ranging from K-7, and when considering there are 4 intermediate classrooms and 5 primary classrooms that share the library, there are some diverse learning needs for the TL to support within the ADST Curriculum. As a classroom teacher, I noticed a considerable reduction in finding available time to use the laptops, the library space, the ipads, and the computer labs, this past year an extra classroom and increased student numbers being introduced. With another increase to numbers, and another class being added again this year, it is most imperative that a supportive and flexible schedule for the library space be collaborated upon and an inquiry made as to what resources and supports are relevant and priority for classroom teachers and students across all grades. Scheduling trends and finding creative ways to share resources and spaces was imperative to making the library space work for everyone. Last year, I experienced much time collaborating with other teachers to come up with creative ways to share spaces, resources, and technology to meet the ADST curriculum, which is why it made sense to create questions that spoke to these constraints on scheduling, space configuration, and take inventory of resources and pedagogical knowledge to meet the ADST curriculum across grades. Trends in conversations with teachers presented these inquiry areas to focus upon for positive change and support.
The library presently does not provide flexible drop in times for students during scheduled classroom times, because the computer lab is in high demand by the intermediate teachers, who need to integrate the ADST curriculum across with content areas, which requires access to tech tools and digital literacies frequently, through-out the day. A very rigid weekly schedule has been created that offers no sign-up sheet for extra times and provides primary teachers with one block a week to come to the library with their students. It has been said that the library is “too busy” when more than one class is in the library. One of the reasons why it is thought to be “too busy” or “too hectic is because the computer lab and smart board is at the entrance of the library and teacher instruction is interrupted when other classrooms walk through this space to access the rest of the library to check in and out books. The Smart-board is located in the same area where students line up to check out books. As well, there are no doors on the library, so the hallway often becomes an extension of this space as there are benches just outside for sitting on and any classes passing by to go to the gym are an extra-distraction for the instruction occurring in the library. Going and checking out books with a class requires walking through the instructional space, so “dropping in” is not an option when teachers, who have signed up for their time in the library computer lab require this Smartboard area for a focused instructional space. Reframed Problems: The present hardwired computer lab configuration and Smartboard in the library does not provide for flexible schedules and multi-purpose use of the libraries diverse technologies and spaces. The library is presently being under-utilized, by the primary grades, because they cannot access the “maker-space” and library without interrupting instruction in the computer lab, which occurs directly in the path of the entrance to the library and shares the same space with the location of where checking resources in and out occurs. Reframing the Problem towards a Solution: If money was invested for another mobile classroom computer laptop cart, and hardwired computers were illuminated from the library and dispersed into the classrooms a maker-design space could be provided and more instructional flexibility could occur. Presently, all classrooms have a Smart-board, which offers teachers the ability to model instruction and if students have access to a laptop, because we have more available they can easily follow along. The hardwired computers could be dispersed across classrooms, which would reduce the likelihood of laptops being borrowed from whole-class laptop carts when only one or two students are doing research on something from their class. Another option would be to move the hardwired lab and Smart-board to the back-wall area of the library and slide the bookshelves towards the entrance with the Maker-space and tables near the front entrance and naturally extends through to the centre pod and upstairs loft space for more maker space areas.... The Design Challenge: Reconfigure the Library space to provide for flexible scheduling, where more than one class or grade may access a maker-space (k-7 friendly) and the research/instructional area at the same time. As a Teacher Librarian, I see my role as providing a warm welcoming space that enriches and enhances the learning for teachers and students. My goal is to transform the library into a meaningful and relevant learning space that is accessible and inclusive to all student interests and to instil skills in learners to meet the ever-changing needs of the 21st century.
When transforming the library for 21st Century Learners, I believe it is my role as the TL to present and consider the educational frameworks TPACK (Technology, Pedagogy, Content Knowledge), and STEAM Projects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in collaboration with students and teachers to choose authentic, relevant and meaningful projects for our learning community. I view the school Library as a safe space to encourage play, creative thinking, design, sharing, and expression using diverse technology and literacy-media where “hard-fun” is promoted and celebrated. To transform the physical space, I envision flexible, mobile furniture and supply carts for endless reconfiguration, groupings, and diverse project layouts while also supporting Core Competencies and Big Ideas across curriculum content areas. To enhance creativity, in projects, the library space must provide playful exploration, hands on building, and role-play opportunities. I envision the library as a lively, thoughtful, creative space where students experiment, investigate, prototype, and innovate, their ideas and visions individually and in collaboration with others. There is no question in my mind that a flexible Maker-space, as an extension of the library, needs to be negotiated, and allocated cooperatively with endless possibilities stemming from teacher, student, and parent input that considers their interests and schedules. I envision an easily accessed, well-maintained functional space for collaboration with diverse members across content areas, using community guests, and well organized labeled “Bins” or “Kits” with “Like” maker resources to support creative work in all of the STEAM project areas. I see the Library as providing opportunities to explore and collaborate to build knowledge and information about concepts including: digital citizenship, digital-literacies, Multi-media literacies, information technology, Service Learning, PBL, IBL, UDL, TPACK, SAMR. Using these pedagogical frameworks provides a common language for communication and enhances collaboration opportunities and possibilities. As well, an important role of the TL is to ensure students have language development opportunities which can be supported when we leverage technology, and use creative pedagogical tools to extend the possibilities of respectful, cooperative creative play and higher level thinking within the learning environment. The Possibilities to learn are endless if we have no rules of “how” to play. Denise Billard K-3 Design Thinking: Communication, Thinking, and Personal & Social.
4-5 Design Thinking: Communication, Thinking, and Personal & Social
Illustrations from Langley School District Website: "https://k12adst.weebly.com/k-3-design-thinking.html" There are no content competencies for ADST K-5; However, even though there are no content competencies, the curriculum states: "Students are expected to use the learning standards for Curricular Competencies from Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies K-3 in combination with grade-level content from other areas of learning in cross-curricular activities to develop foundational mindsets and skills in design thinking and making." 6-9: Human Centered Design: Includes Empathy Students Must know a minimum of three Modules including: Computational Thinking, Computers and Communication Devices, Digital Literacy, Drafting, Entrepreneurship and Marketing, Food Studies, Media Arts, Metalwork, Power Technology, Robotics, Textiles, and Woodwork
Terms Defined in the Design Process:
1. Design Phase: Ideating and Empathizing 2. Tinkering Phase: Is when students make, test, refine, adapt, reinvent to solve prototype problems, learn, to use and exchange materials and tools to extend capabilities of design. 3. Thinking: In the Thinker phase the designer critically analyzes the best fit solution to fit the context of the problem in relation to personal, social, ethical and environmental impacts. “Tinker – supports making, testing, refining, failing, modifying, and trying again as part of an iterative process.” “Thinker – encourages the observation of the work of others and the use of that understanding to tinker further, and modify and adjust one’s initial ideas.“ 4. Thinkering: Falls between the thinking and tinkering phase. This is where your analyzing and testing your prototype to see if it fits your solution 5. Design Charrette: happens during the Thinker Phase, where sharing and gallery tour event, where one member stays at table to share their prototype and other members circulate to investigate other prototypes and build upon and evaluate ideas and provide inspiration. 6. Reflection Phase: May be where final Thinkering may happen after collaborating and being inspired by others. A group and individual reflection occurs. 5. Makerspace: is a space that fosters an intentional mindset. It involves Discovery, Interpretation, Ideation, Experimentation, and Evolution. According to Angela Maiers there are 6 habitudes for creative learning that would be necessary to be effectively engaged in a Maker space:
As well the Province of BC States in “Taking Making Into the Classroom”
|
AuthorI've been an educator for 14 years. I've worked with ELL, Aboriginal, Rural, Multigrade, and Urban, classrooms across all grades from K-12 in more than 8 communities in BC and Alberta. I believe in inquiry, and collaboration, and an ever-changing growing practice built upon reflection and a shared community vision. ArchivesCategories |