I hope you enjoy what I've created.
My vision of the future
Here is my reflection/summary:
“The end of the challenge is really a beginning. There is always
a next step in learning, a place to go to explore further, inside or outside of
the classroom. The Reflection phase looks back at the original assumptions, the
assessment, the solution and the process and asks the questions: What was
learned? How was it learned? How could I make this product or this process
better the next time?” - Ian
Jukes, the 21st Century Fluency Project.
At the beginning of this course, I felt I knew quite a bit of
what there was to know about Web 2.0.
Even my husband asked me why I was taking this course. My assumption of Web 2.0 knowledge was
just that – an assumption. There
was a great deal to learn from this course (Flickr, RSS, Social Media,
Presentation tools). Essentially I
feel like I had a beginner’s knowledge of Web 2.0 in September; now I feel like
I have an intermediate knowledge of the workings of Web 2.0. I’m beginning to wonder what Web 3.0 will
look like.
This assignment presented many challenges as I needed to develop
my novice skills in Prezi. It’s
really not that intuitive to me but I liked learning about their new format and
templates. Still there were
frustrations along the way but with a bit of patience and a lot of time, I
worked through them. It was helpful as I shared what I learned with students
who have come into the library recently whose teachers have asked them to use
Prezi for their research projects.
Preparing for the final assignment I was able to get a very good
overview and sense of what a learning commons really is and how to achieve a
successful, working learning commons.
It’s not a renovation project but rather a revolution of sorts. It’s a whole way of thinking that needs
to change. We need to take baby
steps and move slowly otherwise there will be more stumbling blocks than need
be. We need to educate our staff (admin to teachers), student teachers and
students to show them the vision of the new library – the Learning Commons.
I found inspiration for this
assignment after I caught a repeated show on libraries of tomorrow on the CBC
radio show “Q” with Jian Ghomeshi.
It was excellent timing.
The two panelists (who weren’t librarians incidentally but rather
scholars and critics) spoke about their opposing view of NYC Central Library’s
decision to move 80% of their
collection off site. I found
myself agreeing to the changes to make room for the new ideas of a 21st
Century Library. Later, Jian
Ghomeshi interviewed three librarians from across Canada – their insights were
important and refreshing. The
whole broadcast/podcast illustrates the new collaborative spin on learning –
there’s much to share and learn and it can be found in the voices of many. I listened to the podcast a few times
and I recorded notes. Then I began
researching the 21st Century Library. To narrow my results, I
included respected authors in the field – Alan November, Ian Jukes, David
Loertcher and Joyce Valenza (among many others). I also revisited the two texts from the course. When I found something that connected
to Learning Commons, I began to piece together my project using Prezi. And voila! How might I do this differently another time? I think I would like to work with someone
else on the project – to experience a true collaborative experience that is
found in the Learning Commons.
My thinking has changed most
certainly in many ways but I want to share one small change I’m working on: changing our library sign on the front
doors to read: “Open 24/7”. We are
open during the typical hours of a school day but we are open much earlier and
much later than that with the help of our connected world of the Internet. A new vision of the future in print
signaling a change and truly, according to Ian Jukes, just the beginning.
Works
Cited
Burge, Kathleen. "New 'Learning
Commons' Defies Commonplace." Boston Globe [Boston] 08 Dec. 2008,
Local ed.: 1-2. Print.
Fotinos-Hoyer, A. K. "A.
K. Fotinos-Hoyer: E Is for E-Reader." A.
K. Fotinos-Hoyer: E Is for E-Reader. Blogspot, 5 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Nov.
2012.
"The Future Is Digital." ISTE
Connects Blog. International Society for Technology in Education, 29 Sept.
2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
Kist, William. The Socially Networked Classroom: Teaching
in the New Media Age. Corwin
Books: Thousand Oaks, 2010.
Koechlin,
Carol, Sandi Zwaan and David V. Loertscher. "The Time Is Now: Transform
Your School Library Into A Learning Commons." Teacher Librarian 36.1 (2008): 8-14. Professional Development Collection. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
"Learning at the Library." The
Bookless Library. The Gottesman Library, 6 Nov. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
Levien, Roger E. "Confronting the
Future: Strategic Vision for the 21st Century Public Library." Districtdispatch.org.
N.p., 04 June 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
Marcum, James W. "Visions: The
Academic Library in 2012." Visions: The Academic Library in 2012.
D-Lib Magazine, May 2003. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
Richardson, Will. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful
Tools for Classroom. Corwin
Books: Thousand Oaks, 2010.
Ridley, Michael. "Learning
Commons: Challenges & Strategies for Academic Engagement." Libraries and Cultural Resources.
University of Calgary, Calgary. 2 Oct. 2009. Lecture.
Stack, Greg. "MindShift." MindShift
RSS. Mindshift, 20 Jul. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
Todd,
Ross J. "Visibility, Core Standards, And The Power Of The Story: Creating
A Visible Future For School Libraries." Teacher Librarian 39.6 (2012): 8-14. Canadian Reference Centre. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
United States. America Library
Association. Information Technology. Checking out the Future: Perspectives
from the Library Community on Information Technology and 21st Century Libraries.
By Jennifer C. Hendrix. American Library Association, Feb. 2010. Web. 25 Nov.
2012.
Valenza, Joyce K. "Tag Team Tech
October 2010." VOYA RSS. VOYA, 25 Nov. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
Analyses the people you follow
