a brief history
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A Brief History. January 2007 – meeting with Ministry of Education April 2007 – money from Ministry of Education to OSLA for the writing of a school library document January 2008 – Draft document Together for Learning presented at Super Conference for comment and feedback - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
A Brief History
• January 2007 – meeting with Ministry of Education
• April 2007 – money from Ministry of Education to OSLA for the writing of a school library document
• January 2008 – Draft document Together for Learning presented at Super Conference for comment and feedback
• Spring 2008 – continued consultations with stakeholders
What we heard:
• Need more in-depth explanation and concrete ideas to bring the Learning Commons to life
• Need to be more inclusive
• Keep the strong literacy focus
• Provide implementation ideas
The Result
• Document with a clearly stated vision for each section
• Followed by ideas to consider to make that vision a reality in the school library setting for every section
• Two copies to every school• Discussions on implementing a website for
this document so that the document can “live”
The major shift:
• The Learning Commons is the whole school
• Everyone is a learner and a stakeholder
• The School Library has an integral and transformative role to play in the implementation
Responding to an Era of Complex Change
• Definition of a Learning Commons “A Learning Commons is a flexible and
responsive approach to helping schools focus on learning collaboratively. It expands the learning experience, taking students and educators into virtual spaces beyond the walls of a school.”
Why a Learning Commons?
• To build:– Transferable skills in students– Critical consumers of information– Effective problem solvers– Capable decision makers– Innovative communicators
• To become the physical and virtual catalyst where inquiry, discovery and creativity come alive
Nothing new, and yet...
• Growing disconnect between the way students learn outside of school and what is permitted inside of school
• Radical change in technology and how we define ourselves as learners
• The Learning Commons provides an environment for the transformation
Key Components of the Learning Commons
• Physical and Virtual Space
• Equitable Access
• Learning Partnership
• Technology in Learning
Physical and Virtual Space
• Consider collaboration, comfort and community
• Colourful, playful and inviting• A space where learning is fluid and
participatory• Online space is equally as important as in
school spaceStephen Heppell – Space the final frontier (YouTube)
Equitable Access
• Regular analysis of both online and physical collections and programs
• Assistive technology and devices form a part of the Learning Commons
• Harness the power of virtual learning spaces to begin to overcome differences between poor and rich schools, rural and urban situations and small and large schools
Learning Partnerships
• Partnering beyond the instructional staff, including students, experts, parents and the community
• Modeling learning to learn at all levels• Integrated learning opportunities that are
global, social, connected, real world, interdisciplinary, fluid, flexible, complex and resource-rich
Technology in Learning
• Students are drawn to social media but do not necessarily use them critically to gain deeper understanding
• Build on entertainment value that students find in social media
• Michael Wesch – A Portal to Media Literacy, YouTube
Learning to Learn: From Information to Knowledge Creation
• Reading Engagement
• Multiple Literacies
• Critical and Creative Thinking
• Discovery and Guided Inquiry
• Learning to Learn
Reading Engagement
• Ideas to consider for motivating readers
• Ideas to consider for connecting readers
• Ideas to consider for supporting readers
• Ideas to consider for fostering reading communities
Multiple Literacies
• Traditional Literacy– Broader definition of texts
• Information Literacy– Power and impact of
social networking tools
• Media Literacy– Utilizing emerging tools to
assess and analyze
• Visual Literacy– Utilizing the visual nature
of Web 2.0
• Cultural Literacy– Increased respect for a
wide variety of cultural norms
• Digital Literacy– Communicate learning
in real time
• Critical Literacy– Critical consumers of
information, ideas and opinions
Critical and Creative Thinking
• Read and write for different purposes• Evaluate texts• Navigate and create texts in a variety of
formats• Interpret media texts• Interpret images and graphics• Think deeply• Build knowledge interactively
Discovery and Guided Inquiry
• Exploring– Initiating the inquiry– Choosing the topic– Developing questions
• Investigating– Designing the plan– Selecting the
information– Formulating the focus
• Processing– Analyzing the information– Evaluating ideas– Organizing and
synthesizing findings
• Creating– Making and presenting the
product– Assessing product and
process– Extending and transferring
learning
Learning to Learn
• Building reflective practice• Modeling that learning is a life-long process• Relating new information to prior experiences• Ongoing conferencing with peers and teachers• Utilizing self-assessment and building in
opportunities to direct own learning
Developing the Individual in the Learning Commons
• Imagination and creativity
• Confidence and self-esteem
• Cultural awareness and social contribution
• Importance of individual growth
• Engagement of all learners
Imagination and creativity
• 98% of four year olds divergent thinkers, 10% of twelve year olds are divergent thinkers (Sir Ken Robinson - TED)
• Daily opportunities to use “creative muscles” important
• Teaching children to take risks and learn from being wrong
• Celebrate the arts
Cultural Awareness and Social Contribution
• Learning Commons plays a unique role in fostering cultural growth and a sense of national identity
• Engage learners in inquiry-based experiences set within real world issues
• Make learning relevant and empowering• Learners become effective change makers
The Importance of Individual Growth
• Intellectual Curiosity– Open to new ideas– Considering divergent
opinions– Thinking critically
• Respect and Responsibility– Respecting privacy,
intellectual property and practicing safe and ethical behaviours
• Initiative– Going beyond academic
requirements– Participating in the social
exchange of ideas– Seeking opportunities
for personal growth– Engaging in self-
assessment– Setting goals for
improvement
Engagement of All Learners
“If learning is enjoyable and challenging, learners will do it enthusiastically. Think of a video game that players are keen to concentrate on for hours. They do it because it’s “hard fun.” Turning hard work into hard fun requires helping students relate their work to their own lives and the culture in which they live. This type of learning, inherent in the Learning Commons, is sticky — it stays with the learner. And it creates an environment where the individual will grow and flourish.”
Transition and ChangeChallengesIn the transition process certain challenges will arise.These include:• Creating tasks and projects that fuse critical thinking, creativity andinquiry with the new, more flexible methodologies available
• Embedding creativity, innovation, imagination and risk-taking in theculture of the school
• Engaging the continually evolving technology, information flow, andchanging connectivity
• Expanding access to information and communication technologies athome and at school
• Rethinking attitudes towards learning and bringing all people onboard
Transition and Change
• Evidence-based practice
• Professional Learning Communities
• Personal Learning Networks
• Beginning Questions