LIBE 477- Learning Commons Website - Final Project

 Developing a website as a vision project came as inspiration early in the course. In our first Tuesday night meeting, Alison was sharing her thoughts and dreams about her own school website, and it sparked similar feelings and thoughts for me. Noticing my own excitement, it knew it was the perfect time and space for a project of this magnitude.  

(image source: pixabay.com)

I am in a brand new role and am forging a path of what a Teacher-Librarian can do at my school. While a website has been on my list of wishes since  I started last September, there seemed to be an issue finding the time. In addition to a website, creating policies, designing a mission statement, developing a literacy program, and transitioning the space from a library to a learning commons are also on my always present to-do list. While I seem to work a little bit at a time, in all of these areas, I never feel like I make much progress on the whole. What I have loved about this course is the space for my own learning, curiosities, and inquiry. It is here that the website moved from a ‘someday’ idea to a reality. This course has allowed me to follow my own ideas, to research, create, and experiment with website viability, purpose, and design. I have been able to do so in a meaningful way, which has ended up with an actual, tangible website, soon to be launched. 

(image source: pixabay.com)

As I read through Why School, one of my main takeaways was Richardson’s discussion around the topic, “Discover, don’t deliver curriculum” (Richardson 2013). In the chapter Richardson shares, “we have to move away from telling kids what to learn and when to learn and how to learn it” and goes on to further note that “Discovery allows for the unexpected” (Richardson, 2013). This is what I am hoping I can facilitate with my website. Creating a place for students to discover and explore topics on their own is one of the key elements I wanted to include. This idea of discovery resonated so strongly with me that I added it into my Learning Commons mission statement, Read. Discover. Create. Explore. which can be found in a banner at the bottom of the site. I have also added this into my working documents and  “Policies and Procedures Manual.” This mission statement will continue to guide me as I develop the guiding practices of the space. The discovery of one's own learning allows for students to follow their interests, inquiries, and curiosities. It builds capacity for perseverance and creates opportunities for critical thinking. These are all skills educators strive to equip students with. My hope is that the website can be a hub or a springboard that promotes and facilitates this exploration and discovery.

The articulation and virtual tour of my website is via video. It will likely be live by Friday, December 4. When it is, I will be sure to share on Twitter and link here.

Digital Artifact - Learning Commons Website

As we were flung into online learning this past spring, I felt the role of Teacher-Librarian was emerging and evolving, it became crucial to facilitate, support, build capacity, and curate information and resources in a more urgent way than before. I have created more in the past year than I could have imagined. In addition to this, my technology skills and problem-solving have grown exponentially. In this period of mad creation, I was making lists of resources to connect teachers with the flood of what was coming out at an incredible speed. It was here that I felt the need for a website most acutely. I started a blog, to begin with. What I needed was a place to organize and host all of the work I was creating. I knew intuitively that a blog was a temporary fix but what I wanted was a website. The capacity and flexibility of a website is what I visualized. 

(image source: pixabay.com)

My vision was, and still is, to create community, to inspire readers, and to share student voices. In addition to this, I would like to have part of the space that is largely predictable and unchanging. Students can learn how to find the jumping-off point, where research can be started and reputable information can be found. In my big picture dream, there would be sections that match curriculum topics of study (Grade 3 Science: Rocks and Minerals - and have websites listed). Another way for it to look would be through LibeGuides, or Pathfinders for specific topics of study.  For now, having a general space for research will be a start. As it stands, I have single page navigation, and I am tied to this for now. If the school determines the website is a success, then I will be able to grow it from there.  

(image source: pixabay.com)

While researching effective virtual learning commons spaces, I came across the work of Anita Brooks Kirkland. Following her projects and events, I found Mark W. Carborne’s podcast, Virtual Coffee Shop Posdast 19 from June 15, 2020, which features a panel including her as well as Jane Mitchinson and Jen Taylor. The podcast looks at the shifting role of teacher-librarians during COVID-19. In conversation, Anita Brooks Kirkland speaks at length, but one part really resonated with me in relation to this vision project: 

We’re at a tipping point for the virtual library. All of a sudden, you have to do it. The virtual library is more than a website, it is your existence in that virtual space. So, that could be in a learning management system, it could be collaborating in a google classroom, it could be all sorts of different things. It is extending your teaching practice into those spaces and collaborating with people in those spaces and demonstrating your expertise. It is a really interesting time. My hope is, that wherever this is over, whenever that may be, we’ll have changed practice so there is a direct correlation between what happens in the physical space and the virtual space. (Brooks Kirkland, 2020).  

I feel this deeply. She speaks to the importance of merging both the physical and virtual, which is what I have been aiming for during this time of my library lockdown. I am striving to bring my former vibrant, inclusive, and engaging community into an online format. Creating a space that allows for fluidity between the virtual and the physical, that promotes community, and encourages a love of reading is also part of what I was hoping to convey as I created the site. Hearing it articulated in this way made it even more clear what I am hoping the virtual library website will be and become, and that is the importance of connections and community.

My readings from Anita Kirkland Brooks and Jennifer LaGarde have led me to believe that successful sites feature student voices and are filled with visual images. They are easy to navigate and kept current and up to date. As I designed what would be included, keeping this at the forefront of my plans kept me on track. 

As I began building my site, I came back to the premise of ‘who is this for’ again. It needs to appeal to and be easily navigable for K-6 students. Starting with featured books, virtual libraries, student book talks seemed like areas that students are excited about and would bring them to the site. The one piece that does not fit is the ‘about’ section. This is more of a self-advocacy piece and is not really intended for students. However, I felt it was important to include. Due to its nature, I added this section right at the bottom.  

I used Appendix 6  from Leading Learning as my initial guiding template for design.  I believe that I have captured several of the critical areas and have plans for places to grow. 

(image source: Leading Learning, 2013)

The material at the top of the site is meant to engage and promote interest. Featuring student book talks and highlighting books linked to authors is meant to do just that. This section will be changed monthly, or more frequently to bring viewers back. In addition to this, the featured books and student voices will share current school events and community celebrations. For example, promoting literacy week, speakers, and reading challenges.  There has also been interest in having a Grade 3 student leadership team have a section where they highlight some of their work as well. Since the website is new, there is much excitement. Part of the challenge will be to continue with the momentum. 

One of the first places to grow, using the Leading Learning Appendix 6 as a guide,  is in the pathfinders and resources. I have included a general research area, with video tutorials and a Resources Symbaloo. Having curriculum specific items, I believe, could be more easily facilitated if/when I have a site that has multiple pages.  This could be one of the elements I can use to advocate for further space. 

Using the criteria outlined by Jennifer LaGarde from her blog post: Creating Great Library Websites for Today’s Learners as a second lens, I further focused on building engaging content.  

(image source: https://www.librarygirl.net/blog) 

With this checklist, I feel that I am meeting many of the requirements for a GREAT library webpage as outlined by LaGarde. The piece that could be grown, is that of community involvement. Thinking about how I can feature a variety of voices to truly make this an online community is something I am very interested in continuing to build. 

After I completed the basic plan, I sought feedback on my design, navigation, usability, and content. I spoke with both principals (K-3 and 4-6), and one teacher from each grade. This feedback was largely helpful - it allowed for clarifications, design improvement, and was informative for me.

I made notes from each of my meetings and I’ve included them below: 

Teacher Feedback: 

• There is lots of scrolling, could there be a table of contents?

• Liked the images

• Why is it on the “return to school website?” 

• Point form writing is easier to understand 

• Can linked info send users to a separate page? 

• How can navigation be easier? 

• Can all of the featured parts stay at the front?

• Will there be an archive? 

• Keep the constant stuff at the end 

• Gr 3 student leaders - can they be included? 

Principal’s Feedback

• Is there a section for teachers?

• Can there be a Resources for parents section?

• Should we have items for Holidays, or does it make people feel unseen? Ex: holiday books? 

• Year-long celebrations - can I make it in a wordle?

• Can I add a calendar to honor all celebrations and corresponding books?

• How am I addressing our diversity?

Given this feedback, I reflected and thought about what my mission was, and what was really important. While some of the feedback was helpful, some ideas are for another time. Keeping the purpose and focus clear will allow for the most success right now. I plan on sharing this website at upcoming staff meetings and it will be shared with the parent community in the weekly schoolwide MailChimp this Friday. Taking feedback, sharing my vision, and work so far will hopefully generate excitement and support!

Moving forward, in addition to the goals I have outlined earlier, based on the guidelines from Leading Learning and Jennifer LaGarde, I have a vision of where this space could go. Eventually, I would also like to include, 

• Maker section - inspired by Shannon McClintock Miller, something like her interactive boards for ed-tech tools. 

• Teacher resources, resources, and professional readings 

• As my mission is Read. Discover. Create. Explore. I would like to have a section for each in navigation

• The website supports students K-12 across the entire organization, with multiple pages, research resources, and promotion of literacy

I have found this course to be hugely impactful in my own learning and teaching practice. In particular, the collaboration and learning from our Tuesday Night meetings have allowed for the connection and community that I value so much. I have learned so much from the reflective blogs of my small group as well, much more so than the large scale discussion posts format. The way the course is designed really matched me as a learner, and I feel such a connection to our shared work. 

It is hard to believe that I have, in the space of a few months researched, created, vetted, and developed a website that will be live in a few days! I am so grateful for the opportunity to create a project that will truly impact my school. I am committed to continued work and growth in this area, and am excited about where this new public platform will take me! 

Works Cited 

 

Brooks Kirkland, A. Build Your Own Virtual Library Learning Commons. By the Brooks: Anita Brooks Kirkland. https://www.bythebrooks.ca/build-your-own-vllc/.

  

Brooks Kirkland, A. (Carbone, M. W). (2020, June 15) Virtual Coffee Shop podcast [audio podcast] Retrieved from  https://blog.markwcarbone.ca/2020/06/15/vcsp-19

 

Canadian Libraries Association. Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Libraries Association. 

 

LaGarde, J. (2020, May 20). BFTP: Creating GREAT Library Websites for TODAY's Learners! Librarygirl.  https://www.librarygirl.net/post/bftp-creating-great-library-websites-for-today-s-learners

 

Learn Alberta Online Reference Centre. (2020) Retrieved from http://www.learnalberta.ca/OnlineReferenceCentre.aspx?lang=en

 

Library Learning Commons. Surrey Schools - Library Learning Commons. https://www.surreyschools.ca/llc/Pages/default.aspx 

 

Miller, S. M. C. The Library Voice. https://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/

Pixabay. (2020, October 17). https://pixabay.com/.

Richardson, Will (2012). Why School? How Education Must Change When Learning and Information are Everywhere [eBook edition]. Ted Conferences.