The Art of Learning

  Vision Of the Future  Reflection The Power Of School Libraries      Through the course content and the textbook, Leading from the Library (2019), words and phrases like ‘champion’, ‘leader’, ‘mentor’, ‘making a difference’ and ‘creating impact’ have helped me to focus my intentions as a teacher librarian. Miller & Bass (2019) present a question in the text, ‘What Do I Offer?’ (pg.91) which has prompted me to think of how I can make a difference through the library.  Throughout my coursework, I have discovered that I have an interest in supporting teacher and student mental health, connecting literacy with ADST, and now encouraging and supporting teachers to use digital resources and tools to present information in the classroom.  Within the library, I can support student mental health by providing a safe and welcoming environment, I can include story workshops using loose parts in my teaching program to promote ADST and literacy, and finally, I...

  VISION OF THE FUTURE Easy Access to Digital Resources For Teachers ‘The information issue today is not related to access or quantity.  It’s more a matter of being able to effectively navigate the sea of information to obtain desired answers from authoritative sources.’ (Riedling, 2000). Since there is so much information available through the internet, the role of the TL has also caused them to become even greater experts in information management (EPIC, 2004).  Librarians must not only organize and evaluate learning resources to help students with the research process, evaluation of information and provision of easy access to vetted resources, but also support educators as they teach in the 21st century.  In Miller & Bass (2019) they talk about wielding influence through collaborative connections. TLs have the ability to influence the school community by reaching students through teachers.   In the ​​ISTE's Learning & Leading with Technology Standards...

Meena Rakhra                         The Many Ways the Library Helps Inquiry Blog #4                                                       and Evolves “A school library is like the Bat Cave: it’s a safe fortress in a chaotic world, a source of knowledge and the lair of a superhero.” - Tom Angleberger School libraries, public libraries, mobile libraries, and libraries in rural developing nations all function for the same goals: to foster literacy, to create healthy communities, to provide resources and to provide a public space that is safe and welcoming.    School libraries can be a source of support, safety, resources and perhaps even be an advocate for students in stress.  It can be a place for students to escape into a g...

Meena Rakhra                          Making Teacher PD Effective             Inquiry Blog #3     As a teacher for the last 16 years, I have attended many professional development opportunities.  Professional development is important because ‘​​learning brings change, and supporting people in change is critical for learning to "take hold"’ (Loucks-Horsley, 1996). However, there is variability in the quality of some workshops and talks I have attended. Some workshops have left me feeling inspired, some were boring and uninspiring, while some provided me with useful information but there was no means for followup.  I could not pinpoint why PD was so variable until I read this: It’s hard for a single PD session to be highly relevant for a first-year teacher, a 30-year veteran, and everyone in between—especially considering that each ...