Three Year Plan for Creating a 21st Century Learning Commons

In the spring of 2017, my admin approached me about being part of the transition from a traditional library space to a Library Learning Commons by taking on the role of teacher-librarian for our K-5 school. I was a Grade 3 teacher at that time. I will be completely honest and say that while I had always hoped to one day be a TL, at that exact moment in my teaching career I had been doing some exciting work with guided math and math spiralling and wasn't sure that I was ready to leave the classroom. After some serious though and discussion with my husband I decided to agree to the transition and haven't looked back since.

In preparation for this transition I created an action plan to share with my administration at my school. One of my wonderful friends and inspiring teacher-librarians, Jenn Brown, helped me to create the action plan and pointed me towards a number or resources that would help with the creation. I also enrolled in a Librarianship Part 1 AQ and began to read any number of PD books I could get my hands on!

The big goals for the transition to a Library Learning Commons were:

-increased student access to the library collection and an updated collection that was more culturally relevant for our community
-a shift in the physical design of the LLC space to accommodate a variety of learning opportunities
- introducing a maker mindset to the stakeholders within our community and using maker learning to promote an inquiry mindset
-working with educators to develop our understanding of collaboration (e.g. co-planning, co-teaching, co-assessing, teaching from an inquiry stance)

With all this in mind I sat down with Jenn's example of a Three Year Plan for Creating a 21st Centure Learning Commons and began to adapt it to the needs of my school community. Jenn and I had many conversations about the direction in which to head first and we both felt that shift to a "free flow book exchange" model was the biggest priority in order for many other pieces to fall into place. This also meant the physical layout and signage of library needed to be addresses so that students could be self-sufficient when in the LLC for book exchange.

Once the free flow book exchange model was introduced to our school community, orientation periods for the classes were scheduled, time for students to practice using the self-serve checkout system was given and slowly but surely, everyone began to  feel more comfortable with the new vision for our LLC.

Now that we are a few months into our second year of the transition plan I have gone back over Year 1 to see what we have accomplished and where we still need to grow. I updated the Year 2 section of our plan using Leading Learning and the Peel document- Empowering Modern Learners to guide our vision. As a school community we are currently developing goals for further exploration and understanding of maker ed learning and using documentation strategies to promote student learning. Both of these goals will be reflected in our future vision for the LLC.

If you are interested in seeing the Three Year Plan for Creating a 21st Century Learning Commons that I have been working from, please click the link below and don't hestate to contact me with any questions.

Three Year Plan for Creating a 21st Century Learning Commons

Sparking Inquiry with Loose Parts: MakerEd TO 2018

Earlier in the summer I had the privilege of sharing my love for using loose parts and inquiry in the Library Learning Commons with a group of maker educators and to learn from the maker endeavours of other educators at MakerEd TO. 

It was a whirlwind of a day... in the best way possible!!

Over the course of my first year in the LLC I came to love loose parts for the 

learning opportunities they provided to so many students in the space. 

I would see students from grades 4-5 come just to play and tinker with the available pieces. They would use the time to reset, to calm themselves, to re-center and then perhaps return to their class better prepared to tackle their learning endeavours.

I would see students from all the grades come with a purpose and a plan for using the materials. They knew what they wanted to create and what materials they would need. As I often rotate the materials students soon learned to advocate for a material that might have been stored away. They also began to advocate for documentation- "Mrs. Lyons, will you take a picture of my.... I want my teacher to see what I did." They were proud of their creations, their tinkering, and wanted to show it off.

I would see students who came eager to see what new provocations might be set up. During the Winter Olympics I set up a light table with a variety of materials and the simple prompt- "How might you create a sport from the Olympics using these materials?". Along side the provocation were books about the winter sports and updated articles as Team Canada began to compete. Student created hockey games, curling rinks, snowboard half pipes... and so much more. Where the real excitement came in was when we tweeted out our pics to Team Canada and the responded! An authentic audience appreciating the student's creations with loose parts.

The Library Learning Commons offers a safe space for all learners, students and educators alike, to take risks on their learning journey. In the Library Learning Commons we have been exploring how loose parts can be used beyond the Kindergarten program to spark an inquiry mindset and inviting learners to try new models of learning as their natural curiosity is stimulated and imagination is given free rein. Loose parts help learners to develop critical thinking skills, creativity and problem solving as they manipulate the pieces to communicate their reasoning and thought processes. 

They also allow for multiple entry points for learners and encourage voice and choice on their learning journey. Learners are able to create representations of their ideas and exhibit flexible design thinking.

Here's a slide deck with a few examples of how I used loose parts in collaboration with educators in the LLC last year. 

Projects? Inquiry? Inquiry-Based Learning? Does the term matter?

I'm going to start right off the bat and let you know that I most like the term "inquiry" for exploring new ideas and experiences with learners. I think it evokes the mindset of wondering, of questioning, of striving for new knowledge. 

It doesn't lend itself to immediately thinking of a product, an end, a finish line. 

The learning is the doing.

Where is all coming from? Well, back in the spring I read Inquiry Mindset by Trevor Mackenzie and Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt (and then I immediately read it again in the summer for their Flipgrid book chat) and I quite literally felt as though my kindred spirits were speaking to me through this book. But even before that I had been using the term inquiry in the Library Learning Commons with educators and students. Currently I am reading Engaging Children's Minds: The Project Approach and this question about terms came up as part of a book chat at Twitter. 

Dictionary.com defines "inquire" as-

This to me is what learning is all about. Seeking information. Gaining knowledge. Asking questions.

It's not about a product but rather the process.

I want the learners I engage with to love the process of learning, whether they create something at the end or not. 

Does that mean that I think learners don't need to create a product, or complete a project? 

No!

The sharing of our learning through the creation of a product to share to an authentic audience is a valuable experience. I am a huge believer of the maker movement, maker culture and makerspaces in education. Learning through making is an essential part of a balanced education program and a necessary component for our 21st century learners.

But I do think the term we use matters. 

Inquiry Mindset- Chapter 8

We have reached my favourite chapter in Inquiry Mindset- Explore and Research: The Teacher-Librarian as an Inquiry Ally

It has long been my dream to be a teacher-librarian in in September 2017 that dream came true. I have just finished my first year in the Library Learning Commons and have loved every minute. But even before I was a teacher-librarian I had the chance to work with some phenomenal teacher-librarians and that set me up to understand the pivotal role a TL can play in helping classroom teachers introduce and teach from an inquiry stance.

So as I read through this chapter, and re-read, and re-read, and made notes, and more notes.... !!! I started to think about why is that that a TL is an "inquiry ally"? What makes the TL role so central to supporting classroom teachers?

Here's what I came up with and what I aspire to be as a teacher-librarian:

1. Teacher- Librarians read a lot. Teacher- Librarians know their collection. 

Teacher- Librarians read widely and diversely. Teacher- Librarians read deeply and with intention. One of my first goals when moving into the LLC was to get to know the collection well and to be able to support any educator that came in looking for resources. I like being about to suggest further books for their inquiries, to provide a synopsis of a picture book that might spark an inquiry, to highlight a database that will help students uncover the information they need or help an educator stretch on their own learning journey.

2. Teacher-Librarians cultivate a culture of "Yes, and...". Teacher-Librarians are risk-takers.

I recently had the opportunity to hear Lee Martin (@mrmartinEDU) speak about being a Daredevil educator and everything he said made me think of the great teacher-librarians I have worked with in the past. Taking chances, letting students and educators run with their ideas, trusting students and educators to follow their instincts. Reflecting back over my first year in the LLC I realized that I am pretty much willing to try anything that an educator is interested in introducing to their students. I love to try new technologies, to introduce students to different models of thinking and to see the creativity and ingenuity that students apply to their work.

Taking risks and cultivating a culture of "Yes, and..." is integral in helping students learn from an inquiry mindset. As the move through the inquiry pool towards free inquiry it is important to help students understand the risks involved, the possibility of mistakes and setbacks but that as we move forwards with our inquiry skills we will all grows as learners.

3. Teacher-Librarians understand the concept of environment as the "third teacher".

On page 110 of Inquiry Mindset it states "The design of a learning commons impacts how learners use the space. If we want learners to research, collaborate, create, or be mindful, we need to provide them with specific spaces supporting each of these unique activities." For months before moving into the TL role I started moving the furniture around in my head, and moving it, and moving it, and moving it.... LOL. I really wanted to create a space that promoted self-regulation in my students in regards to the using the collection. First, I wanted my students to be able to find the books they were interested in reading and learning from when they visited independently as part of our free flow system. Secondly, I wanted to create pockets of wonder as this was our first year transitioning from a traditional library space to a learning commons model.

This year I focused on better signage for each of the library sections with a wide array of learners in mind. Signs include pictures, book spines are colour-coded or have specialized stickers to help learners find what they need. Each section also has a rotation of inquiry, maker, STEAM, or loose part invitations to spark an inquiry mindset in my students.

I love the descriptions of the metaphors on pages 112-114 for the LLC spaces: 1) The Cave, 2) The Watering Hole, 3) The Campfire, and 4) Life . I will be keeping these in mind as we move forward with new shelving and flexible seating.

4. Teacher-Librarians model an inquiry stance and how to communicate their learning needs.

One of my favourite parts of helping students find solutions to their questions is when I truly don't know the answer and we go on an information finding mission together. Moving through the books, searching for information, using an online database, seeking out the advice of another teacher are all steps I will take with a student to help them on their inquiry journey. The same is true if an educator comes looking for assistance. I think one of the hidden gems of being a teacher-librarian is the opportunity to help educators stretch on their own learning journey.

5. Teacher-Librarians are life-long learners. 

I have so many goals for my second year in the LLC!!! Especially as I re-read Inquiry Mindset and learn from the other educators in the FlipGrid Book Club.

A few of my goals are:

- develop an Inquiry Map for the LLC to intentionally plan for and incorporate a number of initiatives (Global Read Aloud, Hour of Code, Peel Treaties Week, etc)
- introduce FlipGrid to the staff and students to capture evidence of their inquiries and wonderings within the LLC
- integrate more "story time" periods to introduce diverse texts to classes and incorporate a maker opportunity with the reading ---> STORY SPARKS!
-create a Curiosity Jar (page 92) and/or Wonder Wall (page 95) in the LLC
- develop a program for Open Inquiry in the LLC so students can come to explore their own learning passions

Inquiry Mindset- Chapter 3

The Inquiry Cycle

As the Teacher-Librarian I have the great privilege of co-planning and co-teaching lessons/inquiries with the educators in my school. This means I have the opportunity to interact with a wide range of students (my school has 900+ students!!) and many different curriculum areas. There are a number of challenges that come with this-- finding the time to plan together and approaching the planning from a similar place. Depending on the personal learning journey of the educator I am working with they may be very familiar with teaching and learning from an inquiry stance or just starting their journey and dipping their toes in the inquiry pool. After reading Chapter 3 in Inquiry Mindset I wanted to create a planning/tracking template that could help me in my co-teaching with the educators in my school.

This is the first draft of the template and it will definitely be a working document but I think it will be very useful in helping me co-plan with my fellow educators as well as help me grow my understanding of the inquiry cycle. I think I'd also like to create a series of posters for the Library Learning Commons to educate the students about the inquiry cycle so they can contribute to the planning of their own inquiries. Lastly, I have spoken to my principal about using Inquiry Mindset for a book talk with the educators in my school in the fall and I think this template will be an excellent resource for educators as we work through the book together.

I'd love to know your thoughts or see a similar inquiry guide if you've created one.

INQUIRY CYCLE TRACKING GUIDE

Inquiry Mindset- Chapter 1

Inquiry Mindset.... oh, this book. I've been reading it since it was first released back in April (?) and I can tell you that it has pushed my teaching forward like no other book I've read. I am very excited to look back at the notes I made in each chapter as I read and to engage with other educators in Flipgrid.

(That being said, it is also a goal of mine to blog... actually, write posts! Sigh. I started this blog back in January to document the second half of my first year in the Library Learning Commons but life got away from me and here we are in the summer.)

Chapter 1- The Inquiry Teacher

Thank you to @MsDevooghtMusic for your amazing blog post on this chapter and sharing your thoughts. It has really inspired me to think deeply about my own role as an inquiry teacher.

As a teacher-librarian I think I am perfectly situated to model the characteristics of an inquiry teacher and to open up my practice to my fellow educators who are on their own inquiry journey. Some of my reflections will be based on my year in the Library Learning Commons (LLC) and some will be on how my years in the classroom prepared me to move forward on my inquiry journey.

Inquiry Teachers Are Playful

I'd say that this is me as a teacher for sure! I've so problem following a tangent of student questioning, dropping everything I planned to tried something new, bringing an idea I read about the night before into my teaching the very next day. I like to learn new things and try new things with my students. I encourage my students and the teachers in the LLC to open themselves up to risk and see where it gets us.

This year I have jumped into playing with loose parts and integrating a maker culture within the LLC as a way to get both students and educators to see the more playful side of learning. I think sometimes learning after kindergarten is seen as "serious buisness" and that makes me sad. Watching the students interact and play in the LLC has been a wonderful priviledge this year.

Inquiry Teachers Teach Slowly & Inquiry Teachers Know the Curriculum

I put these two together for a reason. Before moving to the LLC I'd been teaching Grade 3 for a number of years, at two different schools, with a variety of excellent educators. I know the Grade 3 curriculum inside and out. This afforded me the opportunity to fully integrate my Science and Social Studies programs from a total of 7 strands into 3 cross-curricular inquiry units. It allowed me to go deeply into learning about spiralling the math curriculum with my team, instructional coach and Ministry Student Achievement Officer.

However, if I had been new to Grade 3 this would have proved more difficult. I believe teachers need time to stay in one grade (or subject area) and move through the inquiry pool themselves. If teachers are constantly being moved around the grades they may not be building that deep knowledge of the curriculum that will allow them to see the connections and create deep inquiry opportunities for their students.

Inquiry Teachers Know Their Students

This is a tricky one in the LLC. There are approximately 950 students in my school, and 300+ are Kindergarten children! I've gotten to know many students by face (not necessarily by name) and can usually identify which class they are from. A goal moving forward is to do better. I want to know more students on an individual basis.

Inquiry Teachers Reflect and Revise As They Go

Yes!! YES! Yes!! I swear, my head just never turns off. My friend once asked me how I can get so many things done in a day and the truth is that I think about things for a long time. I turn them over in my head, from every angle, and re-look, re-think, reflect.... then when it's actually time to write, create, organize, etc I can speed through because I've probably re-worked it a million times in my head already. This is probably an area I need to balance more... I need to figure out a way to turn off my mind so I can sleep!

Inquiry Teachers Go Outside to Come Back Inside & Are Curious

I think these two go hand in hand. I love seeing how other educators frame their teaching, organize their space, share about the books they are reading, ask for guidance. Twitter has been a driving force in helping me connect beyond my own space and to feed the flame of curiosity.

Who makes up my PLN? So many great educators!

Jenn Brown @JennMacBrown

Tina Zita @tina_zita

Surya Naidu @snaidu_gr3

Amit Mehrotra @AmitMehrotra78

Colleen Hartman @MmeHartman

Deb Cote @DebbieCote1

James Steeves @jsteeves71

Toni Duval @toni_a_duval

Erica Armstrong @ms_e_a

Veerpal Bajwa @VeerpalTS

Suzanne Stanley @BlakePlugItIn

Denise Gilliland @Denjg

Jen Sutowski @HerbLibrary

Melanie Mulcaster @the_mulc

Steve Urion @steve_urion

Kate Sharp @MrsKathrynSharp

Tim Boudreau @timboo_drow

Michelle DeLuca @Ms_DeLuca

Stella Balatidis @Balatidis_Tech

Donald Campbell @Libramlad

Just to name a few....

Inquiry Teachers are Passionate

I have said many times that being a teacher is who I am and not just what I do. It's something I crave, I love being with my students and learning alongside of them. 

Once again, thank you to @MsDevooghtMusic for inspiring me to frame a blog post in this way. It really got me to think about myself as an inquiry teacher. 

One Word 2018

A few years ago I learned about choosing one word in lieu of a New Year's Resolution and the idea really stuck with me. I like have an over-arching theme to guide my year and then aligning my goals within that theme.

This year I have chosen NOURISH as my one word. Last year it was CONQUER and the word was a good one as it helped me achieve a number of goals but it never really felt personal enough. Or maybe it was too harsh? Either way I wanted something softer this year that could fit both my personal and professional life.

As the mom of two little girls and a full time educator I don't always have a lot of time for myself (as you can tell by the fact that I started this blog months ago and am just now posting for the second time...) so I want to nourish myself and my time this year. I want to nourish my love of reading, both fiction and professional books and to take more time for self-care. I want to re-awaken my love of fitness, yoga and healthy eating which got pushed aside when I got "too busy" during 2017. This year I will nourish my body and my soul.

I also want to focus the time I spend with my family. Talk to my husband more just for fun. Create with my girls. Be outside. Cook more healthy foods. I think nourish is a fantastic word to describe the time I will spend with my family.

Since I have recently transitioned to the role of teacher-librarian in my school and set some huge goals for our Library Learning Commons. At times I have felt overwhelmed and behind the game as I see all the great things people are doing on Twitter and in blogs. I want to use the word nourish to help remind me that it's a journey and that I am allowed to take time to learn, grown and help guide others on their pedagogical journey as well.

What’s your one word for 2018? Share with the #oned #onewordONT #oneword2018 community!