Managing A Digital Presence for Your Library

I was fortunate to have had Joel Krentz, TL at Wilkinson Public School in Toronto, in my class when I did my Part #3 Library AQ.

One among many other things Joel shared was About.me.

• As Joel does, I use About.me as my Library Landing Page...  a one stop clearinghouse for access to the suite of digital spaces I use for communications purposes.

• Sidebar:  About.me recently revamped their styling, and clearly Joel has spent more time re-working his About.me site than I have.  It's on my to do list - sometime when I have a spare moment.

You can find my Library Landing page here:  https://about.me/etobicokeschoolofthearts

• Presently, the "Visit My Website" button links to The ESA Library Daily Blog

• From The ESA Library Daily Blog... check out Academic and Professional Resources (under "Pages" in the right hand sidebar 

Some notes...

• You'll see that I host a number of platforms...  originally the idea was to provide samples of how to use a variety of Web 2.0 tools.  

• Some of these date back to very early days on the web (i.e. PB Works) and I have not bothered to migrate the content to a more current platform - no time in my day to do that, so I just let them sit there static. 

• The reality is that there are now so many tools it's impossible to even consider modelling very many...  which is partly why I started sending out the App of the Week and collecting them on a single webpage titled Cool Apps

• Now I link everything through The ESA Library Daily Blog...  this is where I'm consolidating access (although you'll note that even there I have some blank pages...  there are only so many hours in a day!)

• I do still own my own domain name and maintain it at Library and Learning Resources.  This is the continuation of something I started as a blog in my classroom when I was only working part-time when my son was younger.

Feel free to borrow anything you like from anywhere among these pages...

Cheers

enid

Educational Technology Ideas

For what it's worth... My favourite EdTech guy is Richard Byrne, who blogs at FreeTech4Teachers.

    •    I've done PD webinars with him, especially back when we first got access to GAFE in the TDSB... they showed me some tips and tricks that I hadn't yet figured out on my own
    •    Mostly I crib his webinars to create my own workshops and support for my staff at my school...  no need to always have to invent the wheel every time!
    •    You can sign up to receive his e-mail digests on a daily and/or weekly basis
    •    I get a lot of my Cool Apps from his postings

Cheers

Enid

Google Maps: Alternate Application

I am a TDSB Digital Lead Learner (DLL)...  Each family of schools within the TDSB has 4 DLL teachers (3 elementary and 1 secondary).  We are teacher volunteers who provide after school workshops - and general tech support - for teachers.  We also host a tech marketplace for teachers interested in spending hands on time learning how to incorporate a variety of tech tools into their curriculum. 

• Unfortunately, on account of our OSSTF job action during the 2015-16 school year, we secondary teachers were unable to participate in the DLL network.  
• I'm looking forward to being able to step back into this role when we settle our local contract.

What I can share with you at present - all wrapped up with a neat little bow - are the links to something I've been working on in my Library at school, and which was my project for our DLL Marketplace in May of 2015.


We are in the midst of a long(er)-term project of creating linked maps of the local materials in our library collection.  To start, we are creating a Poetry Map of Toronto, based upon works of poetry which may be found on our school library shelves - of which we have a fairly extensive collection.  These poems mention specific locations, or places, throughout the city.  

At Algonquin College we were adding content to a base map. The project at my school generates a map from text based content. The process involves:

• creating a spreadsheet (database) of locations;
• geocoding this content;
• researching the locations;
• creating the Google map of these locations.

For anyone new to working with the various Google Apps, it's an opportunity to jump in and play with Google Sheets and Google Maps simultaneously.

Use this link to access the poster advertising my Project: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5qi_-QjJ9kSZVNSUkJTNDNxR0U/view?usp=sharing

    •    The poster includes links to my project, including full step by step instructions with embedded video files walking you through all of the steps in the process.
    •    This project is the first step in a larger project to create a digital database - and map - of the "Toronto" literature in our school collection.

Cheers

Enid

Inquiry Based Learning Guide -OPHEA

Inquiry Based Learning in Health and Physical Education Guide 

I shared a bit about this resource Friday afternoon. In 2015, I was hired by OPHEA (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association) to write a guide to inquiry based learning in order to support the implementation of the new HPE curriculum released in Sept. 2016. Inquiry based learning skills were not as evident in the HPE curriculum as it was in the CWS curriculum so something was needed to help teachers embed it into their teaching.
It is similar to the inquiry process in CWS Formulate Questions, Gather and organize, Interpret and Analyse, Evaluate and Draw Conclusions, Communicate plus one more Reflection (on each of the other 5 components)

Although the resource is connected to the HPE curriculum content, many pieces can be used with any subject area. Each of the stages of the inquiry process include the same types of information:
-skills students need to learn and develop to do the inquiry component
-assessments
-success criteria
-student reflection questions about that inquiry component
-tools and strategies to support learning the component

Because the Ministry supported OPHEA producing this document it is a free resource available at the link above. You do not need to belong to OPHEA or have a subscription to their resources.
 
Enjoy, Deb

Contact Sharing

Hello all.  As I've been entering random cell phone numbers from various of us into my contacts so I never got stranded downtown...

I've gone ahead and made a collector form - using Google Forms - to gather all of our contact information... only if you feel so inclined to share, of course!!

Please follow this link to enter your details: https://goo.gl/forms/nu9qqy0mI9ANQkky1

I'll share everything I have received by the first day of school in September.

Cheers

enid

Citizenship at the Bytown Museum

I purposely decided to choose an artefact which, I felt, was not (necessarily) immediately obvious as an example of good citizenship.  I was quite taken with the story of the logger Jos Montferrand, who by all accounts was quite a character, travelling up and down the length of the Ottawa River quite literally leaving his mark - his boot prints on the ceiling! - to attest to his having been somewhere.  So, as you may have concluded - or you can see in the attached photo - I chose the caulk boots which were on display on the second floor of the Bytown Museum.



I immediately identified a minimum of four ways in which Jos Montferrand - and his boots - exemplify the qualities and characteristics of good citizenship.  These being that these early loggers:

• were engaged in an activity which required great skill and indeed teamwork;
• had to work together towards a common goal…  be it the felling of the tree or the getting it down river;
• had to be focused and engaged on the task at hand…  this is after all life or death (should their attention waver!);
• made a positive contribution to the community and the building of the new nation

For those who might think that I am forgetting much of the logging culture of the time (and perhaps even the present) I will admit that clearly there are many ways in which the general behaviour and demeanour - according to either the historical record and/or lore - of these same loggers is at odds with many aspects of “good citizenship.”  But drunken carousing, bar and street fights, and any other manner of “bad” behaviour notwithstanding, these loggers were looked up to by the working classes.  There was a deep and abiding respect for the work they did (of course that they did it for remuneration is yet another hole to poke in my line of reasoning).  I would argue though that good citizenship can be something that one can grow into.  So, given the appropriate opportunities, I have faith that anyone - even a hard living river logger - could be turned into a well rounded and jolly good citizen.

A little more research though finds that Montferrand was cut from a different cloth than many loggers.  Montferrand in particular was a hero to the French working classes.  He was also respected by the non-Francophone community, credited with sound judgment, good management skills and, perhaps most importantly, honesty.  Indeed, from an article in the Ottawa Citizen... In French-speaking Canada he became a strong man who helped the weak, resorting to violence as a last resort, preserving traditional values. Goyer and Hamelin call him “a symbol at a time when a national ideology based on faith and language was about to be formulated.”

For these reasons I celebrate the loggers who helped build this nation, and especially Jos Montferrand.

Enid Wray

P.S. I also found, in my searching, an interesting snippet about Jos Montferrand at the website for The British Hotel, in Gatineau, where you can sleep in "his" room.

What can we learn about citizenship from Scaredy Squirrel?

Scaredy Squirrel is scared of everything. I mean everything--from sharks to bees. His world is closed to new ideas and people. He is like a communist country keeping everything else away from him.

Then he gets bored with the same routine everyday. And decides to follow a specific plan on how leave his home.

To become a 'world citizen', Scaredy realizes that the world outside his tree is worth a visit (awareness). He connects to the community when he makes a friend and he is involved and more accepting of his surroundings.

Scaredy Squirrel is a an example of someone growing to become a better citizen.

Citizenship in the Outside Circle

In the graphic novel The Outside Circle, by Patti LaBoucane-Benson and art by Kelly Mellings, Pete and his younger brother Joey demonstrate some of the ways citizenship has changed (or is in the process of changing) in Canada since Confederation.  Pete and Joey are First Nations, and feel as though they have little power in their own lives or communities.  In large part this may be caused by epigenetic inheritance which suggests that significant stress or trauma suffered in one generation, may be passed down to the next generation (mostly studied in next generation holocaust survivors).

This image (left) from the novel shows the historical cultural baggage that impacts Pete as he tries to live his life.  Many of the things on his arm represent events or issues that make it difficult or impossible for Pete to participate in Canadian society in a way that makes him a positive citizen.

Because of the way First Nations have been treated and disempowered by the government through things like the Indian Act (1867) and residential schools (approximately 1880 - 1996) First Nations people often don’t feel like they have a place in Canadian society.  The government worked toward a cultural genocide which left natives without a place in any society.  

In the graphic novel Pete becomes a more positive citizen as he learns more about his cultural past and understand why he has been disempowered.  As he learns about his past, and understands how his life has been impacted by the  experiences of his parents and cultural community, he can better understand his role in society.  One of the most significant factors that affects Pete’s desire to be a more positive citizen is his love for his brother and his wish to keep him from following in his footsteps.

The elements of citizenship that I think Pete develops in the novel are highlighted below in blue.  In yellow, I’ve highlighted some the elements that others in the novel demonstrate that had a positive impact on Pete in his journey to becoming a more positive citizen.

Going back to the initial question: How is citizenship different in 2016 than it was is 1867? These changes in Pete reflect the changes in the idea of citizenship. In Canada citizenship is much more inclusive in 2016 than it was in 1867. First Nations were not even considered Canadian citizens until 1956 when the Canadian Citizenship Act was amended.

NFB Virtual Classroom

NFB Virtual Classroom is a wonderful tool for bringing guest speakers into your library/classroom.
As long as you have an NFB Campus account the world of the NFB is at your fingertips...  including access to Virtual Classroom events.

• N.B.  Originally you had to have an access code from your school board to create your NFB Campus account...  but I think that may have changed sometime last year (I haven't checked to update my notes to teachers for Sept yet!!).
• Go to NFB Campus and see if you can register.  If not, talk to your Board Media Resources folks.

The NFB Virtual Classroom is a great tool for connecting your students with great "guest" speakers.  I've previously enrolled in Virtual Classroom events featuring David Suzuki, Chris Hadfield and Hayley Wickenhauser (it was on concussions in sport...  brilliant!).

This morning I have received notification of a Virtual Classroom event with Naomi Klein, based on her award winning book (and documentary) This Changes Everything.

• This event will take place on September 28th, 2016 from 11am until noon.
• At present this event is only open for registration to schools which have previously engaged in the Virtual Classroom.
• BUT...  when you create your NFB Campus account select to receive updates and you will get notification when the event become available for general registration.
• MOST IMPORTANT:  These - free! - events "sell out" ridiculously fast.  If you think you are interested, register as soon as you receive the notification.  Sort out the logistical details after you've registered.

Details regarding the Naomi Klein event:

The NFB and the Humber College Office of Sustainability present a Virtual Lecture by Canadian thought leader Naomi Klein. In a FREE 60-minute presentation entitled “Capitalism vs. the Climate,” Klein challenges us to seize the existential crisis created by climate change and transform our failed system. In this lecture based on her recent book and documentary, This Changes Everything, Klein tackles the most profound threat humanity has ever faced: the war our economic model is waging against life on earth. It’s her most provocative talk yet and an unmissable opportunity to learn directly from a Canadian icon. The NFB’s extensive collection of films on the environment offers students diverse perspectives on the debate around climate change, so that they can weigh in during the Virtual Lecture via social media. It’s an urgent conversation.

Subjects:

• Civics/Citizenship
• Science
• Social Studies

Audience:

• Students between the ages of 15 and None

Need any more info or assistance...  e-mail me: enid.wray@tdsb.on.ca

The Most Magnificent Thing

The Most Magnificent Thing - by Ashley Spires

Story books are for lifelong learning. The best ones deal with the same universal themes as the greatest pieces of literature; the delivery may be different, but the messages are very much the same. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss is about being true to your word, and making judgements based on appearances. The same themes are examined in texts as diverse as Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, and Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.

The introduction of a great book (picture or otherwise) into a course for which literature isn't a focus always feels like a small victory for me. Perhaps it's my history as an English teacher; I love a metaphor.  I am always on the lookout for new and different ways of looking at and understanding situations. Picture books, films, music, theatre, and various forms of art provide unique perspectives on familiar themes and concepts.

The Most Magnificent Thing is no exception - it deals with the idea of creation, failure and success. It addresses attitude, imagination and collaboration. It explores the inquiry process in all of its messiness. The little girl struggles with her creative vision. She is unsuccessful more than once, bur she finds the grit necessary to follow her project through to completion. Like the inquiry wheel on the left, there are many entry points the creation of The Most Magnificent Thing. The lessons learned in the story transfer beautifully to the Canadian World Studies classroom, Learning Commons and Makerspace.

What are we going to do with all of these great resources?

Here are our ideas for getting started with TVO, TeachOntario and Historica:

Why is Bilbo Baggins a model citizen?

Why is Bilbo Baggins a model citizen?  If push comes to shove and we really do end up in some sort of alien takeover zombie apocalypse, I hope there's someone just like Bilbo Baggins nearby.  In my mind he has three exceptional qualities that make him a great citizen.

Firstly, Bilbo is extremely humble because he understands his own limitations as a hobbit.  He has serious doubts about whether or not his efforts will actually achieve anything and at first, he is afraid to try.  Overwhelmed by the size and the importance of the task, Bilbo needs persuading from his new friends, but eventually he takes his task seriously.

Regardless of his limitations, Bilbo is courageous. Bilbo has a sense of adventure that allows him to see the possiblity of succeeding in his quest.  He also believes in his own ability to make an impact and so he tries.  Throughout the story Bilbo is faced with some very tricky situations that require this ability to believe in himself to make a difference.

Finally, Bilbo puts his own personal needs aside for the greater good of his kingdom.  This continual sacrifice throughout Bilbo's quest reminds the reader that sometimes it is necessary to think of others before yourself. Of course he has moments of weakness and griping when things become difficult, but in the end, Bilbo is able to carry out his quest for the greater good.

A model citizen must stand up for progress and be willing to do the work to see it through.  Although Bilbo Baggins begins this tale as a traditionalist who is reluctant to give up his comforts, he eventually decides to take action. Through his humility, his courage and his self-sacrifice for the greater good, it is evident that Bilbo Baggins is a model citizen.

How is Canadian citizenship different in 2016 than it is was in 1867?

What are your initial thoughts?

Double-click anywhere to write down your ideas

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