How can a teacher-librarian provide opportunities for patrons to acquire and apply 21st century skills through the venue of the school library program?

 

 

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Organizing and developing a well-balanced library program takes time. A teacher-librarian needs to get to the know the patrons, staff and school culture, further develop and curate the library collection and incorporate aspects of the new BC curriculum and First Peoples’ principles of learning (among other tasks). Library programs reflect the time, staffing, budget and value of the library within the broader school community and also reflect the interests and needs of patrons and professionals that access and use the library.

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While the future of school libraries is encouraging, a considerable amount of energy and attention is required to transform and nurture these spaces to tackle 21st century expectations and skills and provide venues for rich, meaningful learning experiences.

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http://springmd.rockyview.ab.ca/our-school/21st-century-learning

The role of the teacher-librarian is evolving to accommodate these needs and function as vehicles of change to inspire and encourage learning in new, innovative ways and to offer a multitude of experiences for patrons and library users.

Focusing on learning tasks and experiences that scaffold 21st century learning habits, will serve the community of learners within my school and also help prepare and anticipate for future groups of learners. The further development of the library program through rich, meaningful and engaging learning along with greater collaboration, creativity and critical thinking will change the way students and staff approach tasks and elevate the action of learning as a whole.

“The ‘work’ of the learning commons is to facilitate and lead a new culture of learning that truly addresses the needs of 21st century learners and teachers. It is about everyone working together to get better and better at thinking, questioning, analyzing, creating and generally improving as learners. Learning to learn and knowledge- building form the program focus in the learning commons. Fostering ‘habits of mind’ and ‘learning dispositions’ are conducive to success” (Koechlin, 2009).

Teacher-librarians are constantly implementing programs at schools, spearheading literacy and learning initiatives and sharing ideas, strategies and tools with colleagues. Often, teacher-librarians need to be bold, innovative and confident in their offerings even with minimal knowledge and experience themselves. As lifelong learners, teacher-librarians can model learning for others, inspire inquiry and set the tone for collaboration tasks. Libraries as venues of learning are ideal settings to pursue and acquire 21st century skills through meaningful and memorable learning experiences and with the support of a dedicated, knowledgeable, brave teacher-librarian.

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References

Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. (http://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/) Ottawa:ON (p.4-25).

Koechlin, Carol, Loertscher, D. & Rosenfeld, E. (2010). Building a learning commons: A guide for administrators and learning leadership teams. Salt Lake City, UT: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.

Toor, Ruth and Hilda K. Weisburg. New on the Job: A School Librarian’s Guide to Success. 2nd Edition. Chicago: American Library Association, 2012.

 

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