Mrs. Laura Bouknight at Newberry High school is trying to keep students engaged in the library program this year. She keeps students engaged by including many different facets of learning. Because of COVID restrictions, students are using more varied resources and sources this year. She is including more digital resources that students can use at home because for the first half of the year, students were on a hybrid schedule. These digital resources include Follett eBooks, Follett audiobooks, and JLG Digital. Students were also encouraged to use Teen Book Cloud through DISCUS. She is also utilizing the collections tool in Destiny to promote books online since students cannot use the library like in previous years. Ensuring students have equitable access to all library materials is of utmost importance to Mrs. Bouknight which is why she is trying to diversify the collection to allow for more digital content.
Mrs. Bouknight is providing ways to include teachers in the learning as well. She creates video tutorials for the teachers to watch about new resources and technology tools. Because of COID restrictions, the whole faculty rarely meets together. By creating these video tutorials, she is able to show teachers new library and technological resources. All teachers are included in the learning, and they can rewatch the videos as needed. Teachers have also been including Mrs. Bouknight in lessons virtually when she is not able to come to classrooms.
Professionally, Mrs. Bouknight is using the new diversity analysis tool in Follett to help make sure that her library has an inclusive collection where all students are represented. She is looking for areas to build on so that she can serve all users more powerfully. As gaps are identified, she is looking to find materials, either print or digital, that can fill the need.
As with all the other librarians that I interviewed, time is the biggest challenge that she faces. Technology troubleshooting is taking up the majority of the day since this is the first year that the whole school is 1:1 with devices. Students come to the library to get help with the device because there is not a IT person on in the building. She puts in the work orders for students if she cannot repair the device. Teachers do not have as much time to collaborate either because they are busy learning a new learning management system. Trying to build an inclusive culture in the library is hard when classes are not utilizing the library in the same way as years past. Mrs. Bouknight has been proactive meeting students and teachers where they are. By responding to the needs, her library is still an inclusive place for all stakeholders even though it looks a little different this year.
Mrs. Cara Morris at Prosperity Rikard Elementary School works hard to let her students explore in the library. Her goal is to create high interest library sessions with cross curricular ties. She continues to engage the students even though COVID restrictions have forced her to rethink the ways student interact with information. Students now have the opportunity to explore more varied types of sources and books because all students now have an iPad or laptop. The school district provides some eBooks through the SORA platform. Mrs. Morris saw that students enjoyed reading books in SORA, so she used some funds set aside for magazines to purchase more eBooks. Students are having to adapt to new a new learning environment quickly this school year, but through her guidance they are learning to navigate the new technology that the library has to offer.
Because of COVID restrictions, students are having to engage with text in a different ways than before. Students are provided several lessons about how to effectively inquire and purse topics of interest. Library lessons support student inquiry through use of varied texts. Creation is limited because of physical and time constraints, but students have the freedom to explore databases and the internet. Final projects may look different this year, but students still have time to explore and find resources that support student inquiry.
Mrs. Morris collaborates with teachers frequently. Teachers ask questions and seek her help when curating resources or introducing new technology. Mrs. Morris tries to be proactive and anticipate teachers' needs either in technology or classroom resources. She helps them find resources that enhance instruction. There are a few times built into the school year where she leads professional development sessions, but she says that collaboration and learning with teachers happens more organically. Often, suggestions and resources come from a need in the classroom and Mrs. Morris finds materials to help teachers meet those needs.
One challenge with the explore shared foundation is time. Mrs. Morris is on a fixed schedule as part of the related arts rotation. Students cannot come to the library, so they cannot explore the print collection like they have been able to in the past. Mrs. Morris brings as much of the library as she can into the classroom for her lessons. Students are learning how to find and use information, but she wishes that she had more time to let students be creative in final projects. Most of the research that is done related to a classroom standard. Mrs. Morris wishes that students had more time to truly explore their interests and create projects that interest them. Time constraints do not allow for students to explore to the depth that Mrs. Morris would like them to.
Mrs. Angela Thole at Chapin Middle School showcases the Curate Shared Foundation. Part of her library goal this year was to work with classes to help students create research projects. She focused on helping students find and use credible sources. Students learned how to use DISCUS to find and evaluate sources for credibility and validity. Before students begin the process, Mrs Thole meets with teachers to determine topics for research. She then begins to look for resources to help model the research process for students. Within DISCUS, she makes sure that students know where to look to find diverse perspectives on the topic. Students also learn how to curate resources using Google. Mrs. Thole shows students how to evaluate these sites since they have not been vetted like a DISCUS resource. Students need to know how to evaluate and use all types of sources in order to effectively research a topic. She then shows students how to locate their print sources in the library. Students work through the same process of finding information from their print source. By exposing students to a variety of resources, she is creating life-long learners that know how to use all types of resources effectively.
Another goal that Mrs. Thole has is to curate a collection that meets the needs of the special needs classes in the building. She spends time working with the teachers to find reading levels and interests for the students. She believes that it is important that all students see themselves in a book, so all ability levels need to be represented in the library. Ebooks and audiobooks are also included to help make this collection inclusive and responsive to the needs of the students.
Even though the library serves 7th and 8th grade students, Mrs. Thole believes that pictures books play an important role for students. She keeps a collection of picture books that are used with the special needs classes, but other teachers use these books for read a louds as well. She is working with all teachers to show the importance of reading a loud to students, so she must have picture books that meet the content standards. She has been working with classroom teachers to curate this collection. By looking at content standards and student interests, she keeps adding to the picture book collection.
The biggest challenge that Mrs. Thole faces is time. Teachers are not always willing to collaborate because they see library lessons as taking time away from classroom instruction. She is working to change this perception. As other teachers see how collaboration enhances classroom instruction, they are more willing to schedule library time. Mrs. Thole is always willing to help curate resources for classes, but she also wants to teach students how to curate their own resources. Through collaborative research projects, Mrs. Thole can teach students how to find and use resources that are credible and fill an information need.
Mrs. Angela Durham at Oak Pointe Elementary School showcases the Collaborate Shared Foundation. Collaboration is the undercurrent of everything that Mrs. Durham does in her library because she is on a flexible schedule. Students do not have a set time to come to the library which means that classroom teachers are giving up class time to have library lessons.
In order to implement collaboration in her library, Mrs. Durham begins meeting with teachers before school starts. She sits down with grade levels to determine what days and times she will see each class. During these planning meetings, Mrs. Durham and the classroom teachers decide what units that she will teach each semester. She tries to do one large project with each grade level a semester. As standards change, these projects evolve too.
Mrs. Durham also collaborates to provide professional development sessions for the staff. This year she worked with the literacy coach to help create a Diversity Cafe program for the school. This initiative is year long. During the first part of the year, she polled the teachers to see what diverse titles they already knew about. She then curated books that showcased diverse characters. Then, the staff took part in the Diversity Cafe to learn about the books and how these books could be implemented in classroom curriculum. Mrs. Durham checks in with teachers which books they have been using in the classroom. These meetings are not always formal meetings. Usually, she stops in the hallway for a brief chat because teachers do not always have time for a formal structured meeting.
Mrs. Durham also teaches the students how to collaborate. She has them work in pairs as much as possible with the current COVID restrictions. Technology helps students to collaborate and maintain the CODID protocols. Students work together to code the robots or to discuss the stories that she reads to them. The online book club also allows for student collaboration. Students meet to discuss the book award nominees that they are reading. Mts. Durham secures community sponsors for this program which helps engage the community as well. During a normal school year, these sponsors would be invited to the Battle of the Books culminating trivia game at the end of the school year.
Mrs. Durham is an excellent example of collaboration. She involves the students, staff, and community in her library. She does note that it takes time to learn to collaborate effectively, and that collaboration does not happen over night. Relationships with teachers takes time to cultivate and grow, but once when teachers see how the library can help enhance classroom instruction, they are more apt to collaborate. Collaboration does not need to take lengthy planning meetings either. Time is valuable in a school building, so often email collaboration works just as well as a more formal meeting. Mrs. Durham was a wealth of knowledge and I am thankful that she mentored me this semester.
The one idea that has stuck with me through this course was introduced early on. I wrote the following notes from our week two lecture video. Technology does not save a learner from poor teaching decisions, and technology amplifies what I am already doing in whether it is good or bad. These two sentences stuck with me as I evaluated and analyzed the different technology tools each week. Technology is just that, a tool. It is not the end all be all in education. How we use technology can make us or break us a teachers. You cannot cover up a mediocre lesson with some sound effects on a PowerPoint. There has to be a reason for using that piece of technology, and that reason must fit in with the standards being taught. Kids are smart. They know when you are not prepared. Technology cannot make up for being unprepared as a teacher. Technology is not the teacher, I am. The decisions I make will determine the success or failure of a lesson. Technology will either showcase my success or highlight my failure.
This course taught me to look at educational technology in a different way. By keeping the learning goals and outcomes at the center of the planning process, I can incorporate a piece of technology that will allow me to accomplish my learning goals. I can evaluate pieces of technology to see how they will enhance what I am doing with my students. I can then offer suggestions to the classroom teachers. I would never want to suggest a piece of technology that I was not comfortable with to my peers. This class has given me the skill set to find, evaluate, and use technology to enhance the curriculum.
Timelooper is a VR platform that allows students to explore museums, parks, and events in history. Through the virtual field trips at www.virtualfieldtrip.com, students can interact with the field trip at their desks or in a larger area like the playground. Students experience the site like they are actually there. Students can walk through places that they may never get to experience in real life. The tour can be led by a naturalist, historian, or participant. Students can learn from someone with first hand experience.
How do I Set Up a Virtual Field Trip?
Students need to download the app to a smartphone or Ipad. The teacher can also display the VR field trip on a screen if students do not have their own devices. The chat with the expert option uses Zoom, Google Meets, Skype, or Microsoft Teams. All VR field trips are FREE, but there may be a cost to chat with the specialist. The platform works for in person and virtual learning environments. Join a webinar or open a chat for more information.
How do I Go On a Virtual Field Trip?
Search the virtual field trips for the one you would like to use. Read the overview to see if it fits your standards and class needs. Download the resource packet for worksheets and other materials to use with students. Sign up for a chat time if you would like to add that to your virtual field trip. Check out the following example Life on a Colonial Estate to see the layout and watch a short video clip.
I Don't See a Field Trip For My Content
Keep checking back! Timelooper is working with various institutions around the world and is adding content all the time.
VR is Here to Stay!
COVID caused educators to rethink field trips and other learning experiences. Even before the pandemic, the cost of field trips was on the rise. VR field trips are here to stay! Students can get an immersive experience for a fraction of the cost of a traditional field trip. Students can experience places from all over the world through their devices. Students get an authentic, engaging learning experience. Grab a device, and go on a field trip today!
I inherited a library that was built in the 1970s. It is one open room with two walls of windows. We barely have enough room for bookshelves and books let a lone classes of 30 students at a time. Needless to say, space is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I am sure the original designers of the building thought the room would be big enough for future use, but they could not envision how the space would be used 45+ years in the future.
I am also trying to think about how to incorporate a makerspace into the library with limited space and COVID restrictions where students cannot share the same materials and have to stay six feet apart. So, I started thinking outside my library literally and figuratively. Our head school nurse encourages students to be outside in the fresh air as much as possible, and my my library opens up into a courtyard. A garden could be the perfect solution to my space and COVID dilemmas.
Implementing a Garden Makerspace
The blog posts at kidsgardening.org give helpful hints and practical solutions on why schools should have gardens and how to implement them. In her first blog, Sarah Pounders states that "Every student needs to have an in-depth, hands-on experience to develop a sense of ownership." Her ideas are supported by Angevine and Weisgrau, but they call it "agency" instead of ownership (p. 2). According to Angevine and Weisgrau, agency is "the fuel to empower students to make their learning intimately personal and unique to their own goals and lived experiences" (p. 2). Both the article and the blog show the importance of ownership. When students have authentic ownership opportunities, they are more invested in the project and will have better end results.
In the second blog post, Pounders gives an overview of the basic tools that are needed to start a successful garden. Having the right tools allows for greater students involvement. Quoting Gershenfeld, Britton states "[i]nstead of trying to interest kids in science as received knowledge, it's possible to equip them to do science, giving them both the knowledge and the tools to discover it (p. 4). As students work in the garden makerspace, they will be learning a skill that they can use throughout their life.
In her third blog post, Pounders gives tips on using available community resources to help with the garden. Help may come in the form of funds or expertise. Britton believes that "[c]ommunity members are at the heart of any Maker space, regardless of its location" (p. 4). A school garden is a large undertaking and cannot be done without help from students and the community. In South Carolina, Clemson extensions for each county and the National Farm to School Network can help provide resources, training, and sometime extra hands.
In the fourth blog post, Pounders shows the need for flexibility. The garden needs fit student needs and the time that students have to work in the garden. This also fits in with the ideas proposed by Angevine and Weisgrau. Working in a makerspacce helps students see their own place in the world (p. 3). Students can plant gardens that represent concepts learned in classes or just flowers that they enjoy. Students can share plants and vegetables with each other creating an authentic learning experience for all involved. Pounders gives examples of these different types of gardens in her fourth blog post.
In her last blog post Pounders shows the need for reflection and evaluation of the makerspace. She has students fill out a Google form for feedback. Through her analysis and reflection, she realized that she needed to connect the garden to the curriculum. Angevine and Weisgrau echo these sentiments by stating that "[p]rojects that do not allow students to build on what the already understand inevitably, and visibly, fail (pgs. 2-3). Luckily for me, gardening fits within all middle school science standards. Our library collection has many resources that connect to gardening. As part of the makerspace, students can read about gardening how to cultivate plants.
Video of how a school garden works
Benefits of a School Garden
Gardening has many benefits especially during the pandemic. Gardening gets students outside in the sunlight helping to make vitamin D. Gardening is exercise. Gardening helps with moods and can be a calming influence for students. Gardening fosters interaction and connectivity with others and the earth. Gardening gives students a sense of accomplishment as they watch their plants grow (Stanborough, 2020).
During this pandemic when space and time are at a premium, a garden makerspace can help students inside and outside of the classroom. The garden has real world curriculum connections to science and math. Students can develop their social emotional skills in the garden as well. The garden can be a calming influence in the chaotic situation that teachers and students find themselves in this school year. Gardens can be expensive, so seek out grants and community partnerships to help get started. As with any makerspace, start small. If it is not feasible to plant a plot of land, start with pots and containers and go from there. As you, teachers, and students get more comfortable with the ins and outs of gardening, you can add more beds and plants. Be willing to learn from mistakes and set backs. Sometimes plants will die, and seeds may not germinate. Every perceived failure is a learning opportunity. Embrace them and learn from them!
Cactus Container Garden courtesy of Linda Parks
Works Cited
Angevine, C., & Weisgrau, J. (2015, September 24). Situating Makerspaces in Schools. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://hybridpedagogy.org/situating-makerspaces-in-schools/
Britton, L. (2012, October 1). The Makings of Maker Spaces, Part 1: Space for Creation, Not Just Consumption. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/
Pounders, S. (2017, March 16). KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog - School Garden Tip #1: Create a Sense of Ownership. Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/school-garden-tip-1-create-a-sense-of-ownership/
Pounders, S. (2017, March 30). KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog - School Garden Tip #2: My Favorite Tools. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/school-garden-tip-2-my-favorite-tools/
Pounders, S. (2017, April 27). KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog - School Garden Tip #3: Invest in Your Soil. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/school-garden-tip-3-invest-in-your-soil/
Pounders, S. (2017, May 25). KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog: School Garden Tip #4 - Allow Teachers to Chart Their Garden Journey. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/school-garden-tip-4-allow-teachers-to-chart-their-garden-journey/
Pounders, S. (n.d.). Sarah Pounders Archives – KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/category/sarah-pounders/page/5/
Stanborough, R. (2020, June 17). 10 Benefits of Gardening, Plus Helpful Tips & Recommendations. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/healthful-benefits-of-gardening
Images courtesy of
Parsons, Catherine. p1020211.jpeg 2005. Pics4Learning. 4 Nov 2020.
Oaks, Linda. cactusgarden.jpeg. 2007. Pics4Learning. 5 Nov 2020
